


The Monk's Altar

by Rachel_Lu



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure, Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Planet, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Falling In Love, I Love You, Investigations, Monks, Mystery, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Room, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-06-06 01:36:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 41,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6732577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachel_Lu/pseuds/Rachel_Lu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor is summoned by an old friend who claims to seek his help.   Things are not as they seem in the monastery, and the monks of Jebraxa fear for their very lives, unsafe in their own home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys will enjoy this new story!! I have the second chapter already written and it picks up quite considerably.

It was a slow day in the TARDIS, full of repairs for the Doctor and boredom for Rose Tyler.  After a morning of wandering the hallways deciding what to do with herself, she walked to the library and threw herself into the Doctor's plush chair.  

Usually, if he caught her there, he'd be frustrated, saying it was his chair, and she'd grin up at him.  He'd sigh and sit down on the couch and she'd relinquish her seat without question, knowing perfectly well that it was his chair and he felt most comfortable in it.  

Unfortunately, she felt most comfortable in it too, surrounded by the scent of the TARDIS and the Doctor's cologne... Assuming he wore cologne.  She lowered her book and furrowed her brows.   _Did_ the Doctor wear cologne? It was a rather interesting question, after all.

She read for awhile, losing herself in a Jane Austen paradise and wondering if she should ask the Doctor if they could meet her.  However, Rose wasn't terribly used to silence on the TARDIS, now with this New Doctor aboard.  With her previous Doctor, it was hard to tell where he was because he was often brooding or hiding in one of the rooms on the TARDIS.  Unless she was with him.  She swore the very lights grew stronger when he smiled at her.

This new Doctor though... He was exactly what she wanted in a man, added on to the fact that she'd technically already known him for a year or so.  He was bloody affectionate, this one, and she really couldn't be bothered to be irritated by it.  She bit her lip and tried to focus on her book.  

She missed him when she wasn't with him, but it was always like that with him.  It was when she realized she felt like that that she knew she would never leave him.  

This was all too heavy for her to think of this early in the morning, so she shook herself up, drew her feet up onto her chair, and buried herself back into her book.

After a while, Rose had decided she was tired of sitting in the library alone.  She padded out to the console room and threw herself on the jump seat, sighing heavily and flipping her book open.  The Doctor peeked out from under the console and eyed her carefully.

"What are you reading?" he asked conversationally.  

"Pride and Prejudice," Rose said distractedly, slumping in the seat to read.

The Doctor wrinkled his nose at her.  "Why read something you've already read before?" He asked.

"I've not read it before," she replied, fingering one of the thin pages of the antique book. 

"You _haven't?"_ the Doctor sounded incredibly wounded by this, as though it affected him personally, whether or not she read it.

She looked up at him and her lip twitched in a smile.  "Well, I'm reading it now, aren't I?" she said, arching an eyebrow at him.  "Didn't really have time to read when I was working at the shop," she flipped the page carefully, knowing he'd scold her if she did it too harshly.

"Oh, well how are you enjoying it?"  He asked, right before swearing laying his hand down on the console and swearing as it shocked him.

"I like it," Rose laughed, setting the book in her lap so she could focus on him more fully.  "The stories of love and all that."

He blinked at her and then cleared his throat, sliding back under the console.  "You human women and your love stories."

She sighed and rolled her eyes.  Leave it to him to take a moment turned tender and turn it into a 'you humans' statement.  They would never be quite as close as she wanted, and she was prepared to accept that.

It took only a few moments for her to settle back into her book, sprawled comfortably on the jump seat, listening to the Doctor clink away at the console, fixing a what's it that probably wasn't even broken to begin with. 

A sound on the console caught her attention, the sound of the psychic paper flipping open and closed again.  She furrowed her brows and looked up.  Some sort of message, perhaps?

She found it on the psychic paper, it seemed to be a call for help.  It flipped over by itself on the console while she'd been reading, and instantly, it had caught her attention.  She stood and went to it, dropping her book on the cushion behind her.  Picking up the paper, she peered down at it and brought it close to her face.

_Doctor! You must return to Jebraxa.  The monks require your assistance._

_Lekan_

It repeated over and over, writing and unwriting itself, and Rose furrowed her brows.  She'd never seen a message on the psychic paper quite like this and wasn't sure how to respond. Other than New Earth, there had never been a call for the Doctor.  She cast a glance at the man occupying her thoughts, who was laying under the console, fiddling with a this-or-that that he probably shouldn't be fiddling with.

"Doctor?"  She called, trying to get his attention.  

He squirmed under the console, "What is it, Rose?" he asked, clearly distracted by his ship.  

She rolled her eyes at his lack of focus and threw down the psychic paper onto his lap.  He grunted and crawled out from under the console, giving her an irritated look.  He pulled his glasses out of his pocket and she bit her lip, trying not to admire how lovely he looked as he slid them onto his face.  "Yes, well," he said, "That is a bit odd."

Rose got to her knees before him, watching him carefully.  "Who is Lekan?"

He inhaled sharply, as was his way before explaining something extensive, and looked up into her face.  "He's a monk, from the planet, I'm sure you read it here, Jebraxa.  They have a monastery, but I can't imagine what they would need my help with."

"How could you help a monastery?" She asked incredulously.

He looked up at her and wrinkled his nose.  "Oi, I'm very helpful." 

She grinned at him, "I'm sure you are, Doctor.  But with a monastery?  That's not exactly your top demographic when it comes to people you associate with."

"And what, exactly, is my 'top demographic'?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

She blushed a little and looked away from him.  "Do you think we should go help?" She asked, obviously changing the subject.  

He smiled a little at her nervousness but decided to let it slide for now.  "I think it would probably be a good idea."

"Do we need to dress for the occasion?" She asked, standing and taking her book.  He climbed to his feet as well. 

"Your jeans and hoodie are fine," he told her, "Had it been a skirt day for you, you would've had to change.  You'll want to pack a rucksack.  The monks are offended by people who don't stay on their land."

Rose gave him a disbelieving look.  "Really?"

"Really."

"Does that mean you're going to pack?" She asked teasingly, knowing the answer perfectly well.

He smiled at her.  "I think not.  Time Lords don't perspire.  I won't have to change."

"Even when they're running for their lives?" Rose hinted.

"There won't be any running here," he promised.

She cocked her eyebrow at him, a questioning look in her face.  He furrowed his brow at her.  

"You wound me, Rose Tyler," he said dramatically, "The bits in between, isn't that what we told your mother?"

"We're filthy liars," she replied cheerfully, "I'm off to go pack, then?"

The Doctor tried to protest as she flounced off down the corridor, but finally shook his head.  Perhaps she was right.  They did get into a fair amount of trouble, after all.  That distraction didn't keep him from watching her retreating back, though. 

He snapped himself out of it and started to set their coordinates. 

Rose was not quite sure what all to pack, not sure of the weather or the time period, for that matter.  She knew asking the Doctor would only make him give her a 'dribbled on her shirt' look, and that was one she was trying to avoid at the moment.  

She decided to pack for all weather, mostly because they were unpredictable.  She threw in a coat and several jumpers, and several pairs of jeans, some more 'painted on' then the others.  Just to be safe, she added light t-shirts and long loose pants she had worn when they had helped out a young tribe in Africa.

Well... A very different Africa on a very different planet.  But the climate was the same, and the flowy white trousers had been very useful. 

It came to packing nightclothes that she began to worry.   She chewed her bottom lip anxiously, eyeing her jim jam drawer as if it had a personal vendetta against her.  For all she knew, it did.  The TARDIS was incredibly sentient, after all.

There were options, and one issue that brought them both to mind.  When in a lot of places, Rose found herself in a bed with the Doctor.  It was usually because there was only one room or people thought they were married, but whatever the circumstance, they were thrown together. She would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it, the Doctor was quite a cuddler and she took advantage of it every time, cuddling up into his chest or letting him press himself against her back, face in her hair.

The options presented themselves in the form of comfortable flannel pajamas and silk sets she'd never worn before.  They were tasteful shorts and cap sleeved shirts, coming in colors blue and pink.   She couldn't even remember when she'd bought them, truthfully, it must have been after she'd broken it off with Mickey.  She wasn't sure what she'd expected at the time from the Doctor, but she certainly hadn't gotten it.  

Blowing out her cheeks, she settled for a compromise and threw in several pairs of flannel trousers in varying colors and patterns, and a few camisole tops.  She certainly wasn't going to get anything that she wished out of this trip anyway.  She knew that by now. 

She was grateful that the TARDIS suitcases and rucksacks were bigger on the inside, so when she threw it across her back, striding back out into the console room.  

He was waiting for her there, leaning back against the console and pretending to look put out.  "Well, it's about time.   Really, Rose, one would think you took forever on purpose."

"Time is relative," she said with the added obvious cheek.  "Have you got us to the right spot, then?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes good naturedly and scrambled to grab her hand.  Once their fingers were interlocked he led her out of the TARDIS.  He gestured grandly with his free hand.  "Well, Rose Tyler, welcome to Jebraxa."

Even though Rose had seen seemingly countless worlds, her jaw dropped when she laid eyes on the forest.  It seemed the the greens were richer here than any she had seen before, but it wasn't too hot, telling her immediately that it wasn't a rainforest.  

"This is beautiful," she said softly, "But, Doctor wait, where's the monastery?"

He squeezed her hand.  "In the very center of the forest.  They see it as being one with nature, being in the middle of it all.  It's where they pray and worship and... Well, sit in silence for hours."

Rose nudged her shoulder with his as they began to walk, a teasing bounce in her step.  "So, not your kind of place, is it?"

"Well, some of my regenerations were a bit broody.  You knew one of them," he reminded her. 

"You still talked a fair amount, then."

"If you want me to stop-"

She leaned her head against his shoulder briefly.  "I never said I didn't like it," she said, pulling away from him slightly so they could walk faster. 

It was all beautiful, and she could hear odd animal sounds that were certainly not of the Earth variety.  She didn't notice the Doctor watching her taking it all in, as he always did, though he'd never say it.  He loved to watch her experience things for the first time.  She was happy, but of course, that was nothing new.  

The walk wasn't long, the Doctor had been very careful in his piloting and put them in a good distance to walk, short enough that they would be able to enjoy the view but not too long so that Rose would tire out.  When they reached the massive, castle-like structure, Rose heard a gentle gasp come from her own mouth. 

"Oh, my God." She breathed, staring at the stone structure that was built up high.  

The Doctor leaned close to her.  "Want to go in?"

She turned to him, grinning, and nodded resolutely.  "You know I do."

And there was the beginning of an adventure... But not the one they were expecting.


	2. Chapter 2

Rose could barely stop herself from running up onto the castle walls, a giddy, girlish excitement crawling up her spine.  She bounced up and down a bit in excitement, nudging the Doctor's shoulder. "Oh, but it's gorgeous," she said breathlessly, "I've never seen anything like it."

"No, of course you haven't," The Doctor replied, his tone a bit cocky as he started pulling her along.  "This is the only monastery of its kind, and I doubt you've been to many monasteries at that."

"That's true," Rose said quietly, "Well, where's Lekan, was it?"

"Lekan, yes," he agreed, "I'm rather curious to see why he asked for help.  They're rather isolated up here," he said.  

Rose nodded, "I can see that," she said, looking around at the forest and how thick it was.  "It's definitely doubtful that somebody else lives here."

"Well, people live on the planet of course, just not in this particular area," he informed her, swinging their hands a bit.  "There's lots of cities spread out just seventeen kilometers from here."

"Oh," Rose looked about her surroundings again, "And they aren't closed in upon?  You know, manifest destiny?"

The Doctor chuckled as though the very idea were foolish.  "No, not at all," he said with assurance.  "They respect each other's space.  This is one of the more rural countries, but there are certainly more modern ones."  

"How many countries are there?"

"Three-hundred and seventy five."

"Oh."

At that moment the reached the massive doors of the monastery, made of a heavy wood.  Rose found herself gawking, unable to stop herself.  The very appearance of it was magnificent and she would be hard-pressed to admit otherwise. 

"Wow," she breathed.  "'S even more beautiful up close."

The Doctor beamed at her, glad she was enjoying the sight before them.  He took a step forward and lifted the enormous knocker and slammed it down.  The vibrations made a heavy hum go through the building and Rose looked around in shock. 

"What-" she began.

"They can hear through the whole monastery if it vibrates, a sound wouldn't go through the whole place."

Rose nodded, then threw a wide grin at him and grabbed his arm, jumping up at down.  "This is brilliant!"

He grinned back at her.  "Isn't it?" He replied excitedly. 

"Doctor!" A man's voice echoed out from the inside of the monastery, possibly from one of the windows.  Rose wasn't sure if she would really call them windows, though, considering that the windows were just rectangular holes in the stone.  Effective, Rose had to admit, but she considered briefly the possibility of a thunderstorm in this weather.  

"Lekan!" The Doctor shouted back, as the heavy doors started to open.  "We got your message on the psychic paper!"

A man who looked only slightly like an Earth monk stepped forward from the opening doors.  He was wearing a deep green robe, cinched at the waist with a rope.  His hair flowed long, but the gold in his eyes told Rose immediately that he was not human.  He almost appeared to be part reptile.  He approached Rose and the Doctor.  He bowed to the Doctor and then to Rose in turn.  Both of them bowed in return, even if Rose did so a bit awkwardly with her rucksack on her back. 

"I was hoping you would receive the message," Lekan said, "I was not sure it would go through.  We have not used our paper in a very long time.  Who is your companion this time, Doctor?"

"Oh, certainly, this is Rose Tyler," he said, gesturing to her with the hand not holding hers.  "The last companion of mine you would've seen must have been... Oh, Sarah Jane, i suppose."

"Yes, it was her," Lekan said dismissively.  "This one appears to be very different.  Your taste in travelling assistants has changed?" He asked teasingly.  

"I suppose you could say that, yes," the Doctor replied, sounding just a bit uncomfortable. 

Lekan seemed to sense this and turned to Rose, smiling.  "Leave your bag just inside here, Rose.  Walk with me, both of you, I must tell you what has been happening."

Rose left her rucksack just inside the doors, against the wall to the right of it.  She tried to make a mental note of it so she could come back for it later, having made up her mind that she would certainly have to do so. 

Lekan led them into the monastery, the stone simple and cold and leaving Rose very glad that she had worn a hoodie.  The only sound for a few minutes as they began down the seemingly never ending hallway was the sound of her and the Doctor's shoes on the stone.  IT appeared that Lekan was not wearing shoes based on this very fact. 

"We fear that the monastery may be in danger," Lekan began when both of his companions fell into step on either side of him.  "There have been attacks."

"Attacks?" The Doctor furrowed his brows in surprise.  "How is that possible?  The people accept your's and the other monks' presence here.  Has that changed?" 

"I do not know," Lekan said mournfully.  "At night, we hear a voice call out, and sometimes we hear heavy footsteps in the aisle."  He swallowed hard.  "And... Oh, Doctor, the altar."

The Doctor pressed on, despite Lekan's discomfort.  "What about the altar?"  He demanded.  "The altar is sacred, even those who don't follow your beliefs respect your altar.  Besides it's at the center of the monastery.  How would anyone get in there?"  The Doctor seemed fixated on this particular fact, though Rose couldn't see why.  Yes it was a problem, but she had a feeling there was something she did not know about the whole situation.  Instead of saying anything, she bit her lip and kept quiet, forcing herself to listen.

"That is what we do not know," Lekan replied.  "Some days we wake up and there is blood on the altar. That is not what it is for, never for real sacrifices, but for offerings of fruit and vegetables and flowers.  We are a peaceful group."

Rose gasped.  "They're defiling your altar?"

"Rose is from Earth," the Doctor informed Lekan.  "Although I most definitely sympathize with your plight, I think that Rose will have a more feminine touch to the situation."

Lekan let out a forced laugh.  "Well, Rose, it will be appreciated, your empathy," he smiled, "But yes, our altar is being defiled.  The blood... We have not tested it, Doctor, or cleaned it, because we would hoping you could scan it and see what kind of blood this is."

"Take us there," the Doctor said softly, trying to be encouraging to his friend.  "I have the sonic screwdriver, an even better version now!  I can help."

Lekan nodded.  "Yes... Yes, I will take you there."

Lekan informed them more of the problems they were having there.  Things were going missing, people were making up in cold sweats unsure as to why, and the monastery felt even colder than usual.  "I know it's cold," Lekan said, "But an unsettling chill sits in the air even when it is in the heat of day."

"The stone is cold when it's hot?" Rose furrowed her brows.  "The sun's not that different here, is it, Doctor?" 

"No," the Doctor shook his head, "It's pretty similar actually, the stone should heat in the sun, even if just slightly."

"The other monks, they fear something is watching us," Lekan continued, "It's incredibly odd, none of us have ever experienced anything like it before."

The Doctor nodded grimly.  "Well, I am certain that you wouldn't have, that would've been incredibly unusual." 

"It is that," Lekan agreed.

Rose bit her lip.  "Can we find it, Doctor, do you think?  We can find it, whatever's doing all this?"

"We'll do our best," the Doctor replied, offering her a small smile of reassurance.  "It'll be alright, but we'll definitely need to do some digging first."

She smiled at him, a genuine one this time.   "Absolutely."

Lekan looked between the two and sighed before continuing again.  "Of course, I fear that we are in terrible danger, and one we cannot see, at that."

"Perfectly understandable," the Doctor told him, "We will search vigilantly, Lekan, you have our word as time travelers."

As they chattered on, Rose couldn't stop her mind from wandering far away from the conversation that was that of two friends catching up.  To her, all of this sounded like demon possession or some sort of haunting of a place, but she knew from traveling with the Doctor that this was something that was unlikely at a monastery, and even less likely off of Earth.  Which meant, unsurprisingly, she thought to herself, that perhaps it was some sort of alien causing all this trouble.  And if it wasn't an alien, well...  It didn't hurt to be wrong every once in awhile.  This was actually one thing that she would not mind being wrong on. 

They were led down a flight of stone steps after more winding corridors and into a center courtyard which was a massive garden with a lake and an impossible looking waterfall.  Exotic flowers and plants sprouted everywhere, very few looking like they were a part of the Earth family.  The colors were more vibrant, and most were much, much bigger than any flower or plant on Earth.  Rose wanted to stand and gawk, but unfortunately, Lekan was already leading them away, and the Doctor had moved to take an exceptionally firm grip on Rose's hand, most likely because he had heard the slightest bit about danger.  Ever since the week before when she'd lost her face in the fifties, he had been loath to let go of her hand at any given moment.  He also occasionally threw her into the occasional spontaneous hug or stared at her face a little too long, as though he expected to find it missing.  So, unable to really do anything else,  she sighed and trailed along after him as he clearly wanted her to do.  

Lekan led them through some bright green brush in the garden and gestured to a marble altar, carved intricately with ancient symbols and pictures that Rose could not even pretend to understand.  The pattern swirled but of course, there was something on it that was a bit distracting.  It would have been pure white had there not been blood all over the surface, splattering down the side and to the ground as though someone had been sacrificed on it, though not very recently.  There was a lot of it, and Rose's breath hitched at the sight of all of it.  She felt nauseous and turned her face up to the sky, trying to focus on the puffy white clouds above them.  

"Oh my-" Rose bit her lip, keeping from saying something that Lekan would see as inappropriate.  He offered her a sympathetic look, as though that had been his reaction as well when he had seen the blood on the altar. 

The Doctor slowly released Rose's hand, his fingers trailing against her palm as he did so, as if he was thinking he was putting her in vital danger by letting go of her, and stepped towards the altar.  His hand reached in his inside jacket pocket first for his specs and then for his sonic screwdriver.   He pointed it at the blood and set the sonic on, letting it absorb whatever was there, and then checked the results, holding the sonic up to his ear. 

"What is it?" Lekan asked anxiously.  "Oh, how I wish to clean this altar, Doctor."

A dimple stood out in the Doctor's cheek as he met Lekan's gaze.  It seemed as though he did not want to say anything and didn't even want to look at Lekan, like he was forcing himself to do so.   He took another glance at the sonic screwdriver and pocketed it again, taking extra time in doing so.  "Well you can clean it now, Lekan," He said slowly, his voice heavy with emotion.  Rose felt herself fixating on his every word as he spoke, gesturing to the altar, "This blood won't hurt you or anybody else.  It's human blood."


	3. Chapter 3

Rose gave a little undignified squeak.  "Human blood?" She asked in shock.  "Who... And why?  Doctor?" 

The Doctor began scanning again and shook his head.  "There's no trace of anything else, any other people around here, just whoever was sacrificed."

Lekan looked incredibly distressed, running his thumb and forefinger to his forehead, his golden eyes shining with tears.  "I have no words, Doctor, for the cruelty that must have forced this to begin," he said, voice thick with emotion.  "How could someone do this?"

"I promise, I don't know, Lekan," The Doctor said, an angry dimple standing out in his cheek.  "But I also promise that I will find out," he pocketed the sonic.  "Rose will be staying with me here, I want her safe."

Lekan blinked.  "But of course, Doctor, I trust you will keep Rose safe better than any other could."

"I count on it," he said, casting a worried look at Rose.  "I want to pop around here a bit more, check for more DNA, if I can.  I'll clean it all when I'm through, I know how you despise that sort of thing. Perhaps you could show Rose the wildlife at the lake?" 

The Doctor seemed distracted, but not enough to suggest that Rose go anywhere that wasn't near to him.  Lekan met Rose's gaze and lifted a shoulder.  "Come, Rose," he said, "We will follow the good Doctor's orders, I expect."

"I usually figure that's the best way to go about things," she grinned, trying to offset the tension, and got a bright smile from Lekan in return.  He gestured before himself and let Rose precede him to the lake.  She waited for him when she got there, waiting for him to sit before deciding that she was also allowed to do so.  

He sat cross legged on the bank, his palms resting on his knees.  Rose sat down next to him, legs out in front of her.  

"How long have you been travelling with the Doctor?" Lekan asked, his tone light and conversational, though she could tell he was worried about the scene behind them.

"Almost three years," she replied, her hands wedged under her thighs, and it occurred to herself how unladylike she truly was.  

Lekan whistled in a low voice.  "Yes, he tends to lose people."

She clicked her trainers together.  "Not me," she said quietly. 

"Not you," Lekan said, smiling at her. 

Rose turned over her shoulder to watch the Doctor considering his examination.  He was intent, and looked worried, his tongue touching the front of his top teeth in concentration.  She sighed and turned back to face the water.  "I wonder why he didn't want me to help," she said softly.

"He only tries to protect you," Lekan said, "He is very focused on staying as close to you as possible while you are here."

"Yeah," Rose relented, "But sometimes he's a bit much, you know?  Like he thinks I can't take care of myself."

Lekan laughed lightly, shifting where he sat.  "I think he knows you can take care of yourself, Rose, but maybe he does not trust himself to leave you alone."

Rose considered that and hummed in the back of her throat.  "Maybe," she said softly.  "Ever since this one place we went, he's been different."

"Where were you?"

"Krop Tor," Rose said quietly, "I almost didn't make it out.  He thinks I don't know, but I do, and he just attaches himself to my side like he's gonna lose me again."

Lekan found himself smiling, knowing exactly what this meant, even if he hadn't seen that particular occurrence with the Doctor.  Rose was frustrated with his smothering, of course she was, but it was something that would keep her safe.  He lifted a shoulder and pretended to know nothing.  

"Yes, I think you could see why he is so upset, though, so afraid."

Rose sighed.  "Yeah, I understand," she said, "But even though it's blood, even though it's weird, I want to be helping him.  That's where I belong, helping the Doctor."

Lekan watched her frustration, wanting to be with him but he pushed her away, holding her at arms length, at the same time pulling her closer.  

She leaned back on her hands, watching the waterfall.  "Is this sacred?" She asked, changing the topic as subtlety as she could.  

"The waterfall?"

"The whole place here.  The lake, the falls, the gardens."

"No, it is not sacred," Lekan replied, "Merely recreational.  You may go for a swim, should you enjoy something like that."

Rose nodded and grinned.  "Yeah, that would be nice." She said.  "Thank you, Lekan."

"I want to make your stay here comfortable, Rose, even if it is in the midst of trouble. I would show you about the monastery, but I have it in good health that the Doctor does not want to let you out of his sight."

She giggled, making a sound of agreement.  "Yeah, that's probably true," she said, "He's possessive, that one.  Or is it protective?  Sometimes I can't tell."

"It can be both," Lekan replied.  

Rose stared into the lake, watching the water lap up near her feet and the little odd fish swimming around in the lake.  She leaned forward and watched them swim around aimlessly, looking as though they were glittering, not shining like normal fish.  

"They're beautiful," she said, "Don't they get sick if people swim in their water?"

"No," Lekan shook his head and leaned forward to place his hand in the water.  A glittering purple fish swam right up to him and Lekan stroked two fingers over its back.  Rose laughed in delight and scooted closer to the fish, careful not to startle it.  

She dipped her hand in about a foot from Lekan's and watched as a red fish swam up to her and nudged her hand.  She giggled and pet it with two fingers as Lekan was doing, finding herself grinning like an idiot.   The fish swam around her hand and head butted her hand, playing with her. 

"They like you," Lekan said softly, "They're very gentle."

She exchanged a look with him.  "I'm really excited to swim with them now," she said.  

They played with the fish in the pool a bit, and they talked about Earth and Jebraxa, exchanging stories about their lives.  He was very much a poetic speaker, and she found herself lost in his voice, as though he were a story teller she was listening to with bated breath. 

Both of them had been so engrossed in their conversations that when the Doctor squatted next to Rose and placed his hand on her back she started.  She jumped a little and he rubbed her back a little, trying to relax her. 

"Sorry," he said softly, his body right up against hers.  She blushed against her own will, wondering if he remembered that they were in a monastery.  Lekan was right next to them after all, and even though they weren't 'together' this was hardly public practice among any normal friends.  She resisted the urge to huff at him in annoyance.

He stayed where he was though, as though there was nothing odd in the slightest about what he was doing, watching the water over her head.  "It's human," he said again, of the blood.  "Different types, though, which means more than one sacrifice."

A grief stricken look played over Lekan's face.  "Oh, dear."  He placed his head in his hands and Rose gave him a worried look.

"I cleaned it off," the Doctor continued, his voice significantly softer, more gentle.  "There were no prints, no DNA of anything other than a human."

"Minimal humans live on Jebraxa," Lekan said, staring into the water.  "I think perhaps I will send out a letter to the town and ask if anyone has disappeared.  That will help determine what we should do next."

The Doctor nodded.  "I think that's probably a good idea, Lekan.  I know it's awful, what's happening, but I am grateful that you called."

Lekan offered a weak smile.  "And I am glad you brought Rose Tyler along.  She's lovely company."

"That seems to be the common consensus on most planets."

Rose blushed at the flattery and wished someone would change the subject.  It wasn't that she didn't like the Doctor complimenting her, but he did it in the very blase way that reminded her of his last self.

"I think we'd best get to evening meal," Lekan said, "And then you will find that your things have been taken to your room."

"That sounds lovely, Lekan."  The Doctor got to his feet and circled around Rose, holding his hands out to her and wiggling his fingers. She slid her hands into his and allowed him to pull her to her feet, his chest brushing against hers on the way up.  She quickly stepped away and followed Lekan back into the monastery, the cold rooms and corridors of the place.

Lekan seemed more distraught then he had been before, but of course, that was because he finally had to deal directly with the blood on the altar.  Rose would've given him a hug, had she not known that it would probably be frowned upon.  Instead, he chatted aimlessly as they walked to the dining hall, which turned to be just as plain as the rest of the place, minus the garden. 

The table was long and stone, and the monks sat on cushions on the floor around it.  It was low, and slightly intimate, but in a spiritual way.  Chandeliers full of candles filled the hall, and Rose wondered just how they had been lit.  

On the table were the simplest of foods, apples and breads and various other fruits and grains.  The only meat to be seen on the table was fish, but it was clearly not the fish from the lake, for which Rose was grateful. 

"What do you think?" The Doctor asked, close to her ear. 

"It's beautiful," Rose replied, feeling his eyes, earnest for approval, on her, but not turning to look at him, so entranced was she in the beauty around her.   He smiled and nodded a little, satisfied.

Lekan clapped his hands and bowed, causing the rest of the monks to stand and do the same.  It became clear that they were very different from Earth monks, and she jumped a little in surprise.  Leakan stretched a hand out to present the two of them.  

"This is the newest form of the Doctor, and his companion, Rose Tyler."

The monks clapped and bowed in return, and when the Doctor did the motion, Rose did too.  Apparently, that was something people did here.  The monks sat again and Lekan followed, waving the Doctor and Rose to two pillows to sit upon right next to each other.  Rose noticed that nobody sat at the head of the table and wondered if it was symbolic. 

Evidently, there was no way to sit without some part of their bodies touching.  Rose shifted about, trying to get comfortable without knocking her knee against his or anything of the sort.  Eventually, he reached his hand over and stilled her leg.  

"Are you alright?" He asked her curiously. 

"Yeah, m'fine," she said, "Just a little antsy, probably."

He looked worried and his hand fumbled with her wrist to feel for her pulse.  "The effects of Krop Tor," he murmured, his fingers shaking slightly over her skin.  

"No, no," Rose twisted her arm to lace their fingers together, and leaned to look into his eyes.  "I promise, I'm okay."

She could see him swallow, and he squeezed her hand lightly before releasing it.  She gave him a reassuring smile and turned to the wooden plates at the table. 

"Now, we will all offer up a silent prayer," Lekan said, more for the benefit of Rose than anything else.  She watched as the monks bowed their heads and she and the Doctor followed suit.  She waited until their heads were lifted before she raised her own up and began following their leads with how they ate.  

It was a quiet meal, as she knew was the usual with monks, but that didn't really stop her from feeling awkward.  Instead, she found herself twitching to reach for the Doctor's hand again and was having trouble not doing just that. 

It seemed to be an incredibly long meal, and by the time it had ended, Rose was incredibly uncomfortable with the silence.  She sensed the Doctor was too, what with him being such a talker.  When it was at their earliest convenience, he got to his feet, and she scrambled up after him.  Lekan extended a hand of dismissal with a nod, thanks written in his eyes.  He pointed down a hallway and the Doctor nodded, clearly knowing where they were going.  

The second they were out of the dining hall his hand was in hers again.  He breathed out a heavy sigh of relief.  "My God, I forgot how quiet that lot was."

Rose laughed, "You were probably a quieter man when you last saw them."

He hummed.  "Most likely."

"Do you know where we're going?" She asked curiously.  

The Doctor nodded.  "Yes, I do, actually.  They only have one room for guests."

"So you've been in it."

"I've been in it."

"Ah."

The Doctor tugged her along.  "No, it's not like that.  Just come with me."

She smiled a little to herself and followed him to where they would be staying during their trip.


	4. Chapter 4

It was a simple little room they were staying in, a full size bed in modest sheets crammed in the corner of the room.  It was really the only furniture there, aside from a little stool.  There was a tiny en suite attached to the room, but Rose wasn't even sure she would call it that, since it looked more like a cupboard with a toilet and small sink.  In addition, somebody had taken Rose's rucksack up and placed it next to a stone fireplace, something in the room that surprised her. 

"A fireplace?" Rose asked, reaching for her rucksack.

"It gets cold at night," the Doctor replied.  "Especially on this planet, and especially because there's no glass.  We could start one up, when you get changed."

Rose nodded and looked towards the en suite.  "Is there enough room in there for me to change?" She asked, laughing a little.  The Doctor smiled at her and shrugged. 

"Yeah, there should be."

"You've never changed in there, have you?"

"No."

She laughed and shook her head.  "Of course not."  She walked to the bathroom and cried out in surprise.  She emerged from the room again, a fistful of cotton in her hand.  "Hey, you get changed, somebody left you jim jams."

The Doctor groaned as she threw the garments at him, rolling his eyes.  "Well, I suppose they remembered I didn't pack things for trips."

"At least someone is babysitting you!" She called out cheekily over her shoulder, giggling at his offended "Oi!"

She had quite a bit of trouble getting dressed in that tiny room, hitting her elbows off the sink and her knees off the toilet.  By the time she was done changing she was panting and bordering on sweaty.  She looked down at herself, as there was no mirror, and smoothed down her black camisole top and pink flannel pants.  She remarked to herself that perhaps she should have gotten better tops to wear to this place.  Blowing out her cheeks, she knocked on the door to the bedroom, feeling foolish for doing so.

"You done?" She asked.

"I'm done," he replied, sounding quite put out indeed.  She laughed and exited the bathroom, coming back into the bedroom and looking him over.   His feet were bare, but he looked comfortable, his body all wrapped up in cotton button up pajamas in a simple white.  

"Very nice," she told him, smiling.  

He rolled his eyes again.  "Enough of your cheek, Miss Tyler.  Care to help me with the fire?"

It had been a considerably long time since Rose had actually started a fire, and so even though she was slow at it, the Doctor was patient, and showed her where to place things and how to light the odd long sticks that they used for matches.  They looked weird all by themselves, and Rose told him so.  

"Well, the fires here are more sensitve, which is why it makes more sense for this building to be stone, since they don't have glass," he explained. "Keeps buildings from burning down and it's a natural resource, so the monks use it."

"That's interesting," she relented as he struck one of the sticks.  It glowed pink until he shoved it in the fire, and then it turned bright orange, fading to what was standard of an Earth fire.  She watched as little flickers of purple shot through it. 

The Doctor watched her amazement, a light smile playing on his face.  "It's lovely, I know," he said finally, after he realized he probably shouldn't be staring at the firelight reflecting over her profile. 

She looked at him for a moment to offer him a smile before turning back to the fire.  "It is," she said, sitting down and getting comfortable before the flame.  "The colors here are unreal, Doctor.  S'like everything is a bit more vibrant.  Have you seen those fish in the lake?  I mean really seen them, not just today?"

He adjusted himself so he was sitting next to her, his legs sprawled out in front of himself.  He wiggled his toes.  She wiggled hers back.  Grinning, he leaned back on his hands.  "Yes, I've seen the fish.  Beautiful things, and very friendly, I saw you petting one."

"Lekan said we can swim with them and it doesn't bother them," she pointed out, fiddling with her hands in her lap.

"Oh yes, swimming there will be good fun," he said, "We could do that tomorrow, if you like."

"We have investigating to do," she said, trying not to sound reluctant.

"And you have swimming to do," he teased, nudging her shoulder with his.  "Twenty four hours in a day you know, Rose, who says we can't do it all?"

She laughed.  "If you say so, Doctor.  What are you going to want to look at tomorrow?"

He blew out a heavy breath, the light mood vanishing from the air.  "I'm going to walk through the monastery with the sonic, scan it for materials that may be foreign.  Could be a time vortex manipulator doing all this, for all I know.  All I know is someone is getting in and out of the monastery without anyone noticing."

Rose furrowed her brows.  "Yeah, I don't know of many things that aren't traceable.  Teleportation device?"

The Doctor made a sound of agreement in the back of his throat. "Could be," he relented.  "It would be plausible that somebody would use teleportation, and if that's the case, we'd have to find the home base for it, so to speak."

Rose nodded and tried to stifle a yawn behind her hand.  The Doctor grinned at her and got up, pulling her to her feet as well.  

"Time for bed," he said cheerfully.  Rose laughed and nodded.

"Sorry," She said, "It wasn't even that long of a day, not terribly traumatic."

He looked her over sympathetically.  "Rose, just because it wasn't traumatic doesn't mean you can't be tired.  It was rough, seeing human blood all over an altar."  He pulled her into a hug and she went willingly, leaning her head against his chest.  

"Well, go on, go to bed," she murmured. 

"You first," he replied happily, stroking a hand up her back before releasing her.  She pulled back and furrowed her brows up at him.  "Why?" She asked cautiously. 

He jerked his chin towards the bed.  "That side is right up against the wall.  If anybody wants to get to you, they'll have to get through me first."  When she gave him a curious look, he stated further, "I sleep between you and the door.  To keep you safe."

She blushed and looked away from him.  "That's really sweet of you, Doctor."

"There's human blood on that altar, Rose," he cupped her chin and forced her to look at him, an earnest and afraid look in his eyes.  "I'm scared for you, Rose, and I'm going to protect you every moment that we're here, do you understand?"

Under the intensity of his gaze, she found herself nodding.  "No wandering off for me then," she said teasingly, hoping to draw a smile from him. 

His lip twitched, but that was as much as she got. He nodded.  "Yes, I would appreciate it if you didn't," he said quietly.

"Will you let me help you?" She asked earnestly, furrowing her brows. 

"If it's safe," he relented.  

She wanted to say something about him holding her at arms length, that she _knew,_ that she wasn't an idiot.  She grit her teeth and nodded.  It would do no god to bring up Krop Tor, especially with him already nervous about the blood on the altar and the suspicion behind it all.  She understood that, and was willing to give him the space he needed, and God help her, she knew that the Doctor almost always needed space. 

He released her chin and smiled softly at her.  "Alright, time for bed, I think."

"And we can let the fire burn?" She asked, walking over to the bed.  

"Yes, it won't burn down the monastery, if that's what you're worried about," he chuckled.

She threw him a look over her shoulder and pulled back the sheets, surprised as their softness with how rough and thin they looked.  She slid under the covers and scooted over to the far side by the wall.  She didn't want to admit to the Doctor that she did feel safe there, especially when he crawled in after her, effectively blocking her in against the wall.  

He pulled the covers up over both of them and scooted closer to her.  She relented, turning on her side, facing him.  She watched his eyes as his hand came out to gently touch her hip.  

They'd shared beds before, of course, especially since Krop Tor.  That was mostly the Doctor coming into her room and waking her up with a whisper of "it's just me" before crawling into bed with her.  Every time he did it, she'd cuddle up against his chest and fall right back asleep as though nothing had happened. 

Here though, they were both fully awake, and she could see the world of worry locked behind his eyes. 

"I should have left you with your mother before coming here, and picked you up when things were over," he said softly, his gaze fixed firmly to her nose. 

She wrinkled it to get his attention back up to her eyes and made a face at him.  "Yes, of course, I would have much rather waited back at home, where you might have missed and picked me up eons too late, Doctor.  And I would have loved to worry about you until you got back."

"Rose, I-"

"No," she smacked his chest. "You and I, Doctor, we're a team, you're my best mate, and I'm not about to sit at home while you save a planet or the whole bloody universe.  You know that."

The way she was holding his gaze told him in no small amount of words that she was not to be trifled with.  He sighed and squeezed her hip, sinking into his pillow.  She realized her hand was still on his chest and pulled it back to herself, tucking it under her cheek. 

"I just want to keep you safe," he whispered.

"I know you do," she said, "But why can't you see that I want to keep you safe, too?"

He smiled weakly at her.  "I suppose I've been a bit of a fool, in that regard, haven't I?"

"Git."

"Yeah."

She giggled and let her eyes flutter closed.  He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead before cuddling up to her as he had in her own bed lots of nights.   Both of them still had their own personal space, but her forehead was against the Doctor's chest, his chin on the top of her head, arms wrapped around her.  Their legs were tangled together and Rose had to admit to herself that she rather liked the idea of it all. 

The night was quiet and cold, and before either of them knew quite what was happening, they were wrapped up in each other entirely and pressed up against the wall, trying to huddle for any amount  of warmth that they could find.  The sheets were pulled up high and the Doctor ended up burrowing deeper into the covers, the cold getting to even his superior biology.  

His hearts thumping against her cheek made her start to drift off.  Had it not been for the cold she probably would have lapsed into sleep much quicker, but for now it was only his warmth keeping her.  The Doctor pulled the sheets up around her shoulders and tucked it around her, effectively wrapping her up in a little cocoon. 

Had they been a couple, she would have pressed a gentle, sleepy kiss to his chest before drifting off, but instead, it happened to be her whispering, "Thanks, Doctor," before she fell asleep, back to the wall and front up against him. 

The Doctor grinned above her, and he felt his own eyelids grow heavy.  With his arms around Rose, and the door locked, he felt safe.  Safe enough to sleep in her arms as she was sleeping in his.


	5. Chapter 5

It was a strange thumping noise that awakened the Doctor in the middle of the night.  He lifted his head from the pillow but was careful not to disrupt Rose from where she had ended up on top of him, head on his chest.  She was wrapped so tightly around him that it was going to be quite a problem to get up if he wanted to investigate. 

She stirred, either by the sound or his own movements, and she pressed her face farther against his chest, her nose in the center, right between his hearts.  He ran a hand up her back, which without knowing, he had wrapped around her shoulders, and sighed.  The noise had stopped, but he was still on alert, waiting for something else to happen. 

A rattling at the door forced him to roll Rose off of him so she was facing the wall and spooned up behind her, shielding her with his body.  This woke her, of course, and she tried to sit up, but he pressed her back down, his motions clearly warning. 

Her breath hitched and he could feel her heart pounding with fear at the concept of the door being opened.  He wanted to fill her with reassurance, to tell her that it was alright, he had her and was not going to let anyone hurt her, but that was going to be impossible.  Their only defense, at the moment, was to pretend that they were not there. 

There was the sound of a huff of breath outside the door, easily frustrated.   The rattling grew stronger and more intense, the shaking making Rose press back into him, hoping for security.  He wrapped his arm tighter around her waist, his hearts thumping erratically against her back, and turned over his shoulder to look at the door.  It was lucky the monastery was so sturdy, otherwise the person, or whatever was on the outside would be finding their way in.  

She tried breathing through her nose to calm herself, but it only succeeded in ratcheting up her anxiety, fear crawling in from the darkest places of herself.  She was afraid and she didn't care who knew, even if it was the person beyond that door.

Luckily, the only person aware was presumably the Doctor, who was keeping a steady eye on her as well as hand, she could tell.  They both lay quietly until the rattling stopped, followed by a low, inhuman growl before footsteps that sounded very odd walked away.  Rose couldn't tell if the steps were strange because of the stone the being was walking upon or because it wasn't human.  She shivered at the thought. 

When the Doctor sighed and relaxed, though he didn't take his hold from her, she could finally breathe again.  

"We have to warn Lekan," she said, trying to get up, wriggling in the Doctor's grasp, but he pushed her back down easily, as he was significantly stronger than her. 

"No," the Doctor replied.  "It was here for us, whatever it was.  It won't bother Lekan or the others."

"Then why did it come to us?" she whispered, already having a feeling that she knew the answer. 

"Because you're human."

She sagged back and he gathered her up as she rolled over towards him, feeling safer facing him then the wall.  He seemed afraid too, though neither of them would tell the other that they were afraid of something like this, for very different reasons.  Rose was afraid, not of dying, but of leaving the Doctor on his own. She doubted that was very good for him.  The Doctor was simply afraid to lose her.  

He sighed heavily for the second time, squeezing her before pulling the blankets up over them again and burrowing down in the covers.  "Go to sleep, Rose."

"I can't, now," she murmured.  

He chuckled in a forced sort of way.  "Yes you can," he said softly, "I need you to, you're going to need rest."

"We'll go swimming tomorrow?" She asked.

"Did you bring a swimsuit?"

"Yes."

"What?"

She smiled a little and buried her face in his chest.  "Brought a parka too, just in case you missed the mark."

He let out a sharp breath of laughter.  "Alright, I suppose I deserved that."  He held just imperceptively tighter.  "Go to sleep, Rose, I'll protect you."

Her eyes fluttered shut, because of those simple words, she believed him.

*****

The next morning, they woke up clinging to each other, but neither of them mentioned it as they got up and changed, the Doctor in the en suite as he did so.  Rose took the bathroom next, applying the barest amount of makeup before coming back out to the bedroom, tying her hair up in a ponytail. 

Morning meal was just as bland as the dinner the night before.  No one spoke, though Lekan offered them a happy smile when they walked down.  The Doctor waited for Rose to be seated before sitting down with her, giving her knee a light pat before tucking in to all the fruit before them.  It was all ruit today, and Rose wondered how that was going to hold her over until the next meal.  The reassuring look she gave from the Doctor told her that she would be just fine. 

The monks separated without another word, some going off to pray, others to garden or do some other unknown task.  The Doctor jerked his head for Rose to follow him and she got to her feet, following him from the dining hall. 

"Do you want to look at the altar more?" She asked.  

He threw her a sheepish smile.  "Yes," he admitted, "And I don't think we should swim when there are monks around."

"Afraid for my decency, Doctor?" She asked cheekily, tongue touching her teeth in a smile.  The Doctor grinned and looked away from her.  She thought she heard him mumble "you have no idea," before heading off towards the gardens, Rose on his heels.  

They walked in silence for a moment, Rose trying to keep up with his incredibly long stride.  "So what are we supposed to do?  Lekan's gonna send something out to the town, remember?"

"Yep, I remember," he stuck his hand behind himself, waiting for her hand to slip in his.  She laced their fingers together and he slowed his stride to accommodate her.  The only sound was that of their trainers on the stone as Rose waited for the Doctor to answer her properly.   He seemed preoccupied for a few moments before he finally said, "I want to scan about the gardens a little bit.  Look for disturbances in energy and time force, and the like."

"Can I help with that?" Rose asked, her free hand tugging at her hoodie.

"Yeah," the Doctor said decisively.  "You should be able to feel the difference, even if you don't know what it is.  The garden is big enough that an extra body will be very helpful indeed."

She nodded.  "What would it feel like, though?  I need to know what I'm looking for here."

Rose chewed her bottom lip while she heard him hum in the sort of way he did when he was thinking.  It was quite nerve wrecking, because maybe he would think that she was some sort of stupid human who couldn't feel a shift in time or energy if it smacked her in the face, which it probably would.  He tugged her sharply around the corner and she cried out in surprise before he said anything.  

"I imagine it'll feel like a tingling for you," he said, "I have more senses, so I feel things a bit more strongly then you would."

"Blessing and a curse?" She asked, smiling happily up at him.  

He returned her smile matched with an affectionate gaze and nudged her shoulder with his.  "A blessing and a curse," he agreed, "I can feel disturbances more clearly, like they're in focus, but I can also feel pleasant things on a higher level."

She squeezed his hand.  "Like hand holding?" She asked.

"Exactly like hand holding," he squeezed her hand back and she giggled. 

They walked the rest of the way to the gardens making aimless chit chat about when they were going to visit Jackie next and "really, Rose, we just saw her two weeks ago, isn't that enough for her?"  When he talked like that, Rose was willing to give in to whatever he wanted.  So she relented. 

"I guess we'll see her later in the month," she said, tilting her head against his shoulder for just a moment, afraid of overstepping her boundaries or doing something wrong.  It was easy to think she was doing so, especially when they were alone. 

They reached the gardens and the Doctor inhaled the cool morning air harshly through his nose before releasing her hand.  "Alright, you go by the water fall, I'll stay by the altar," the Doctor said. 

"You really don't want me anywhere near the altar, do you?" Rose asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. 

"No, I don't," The Doctor said simply, leveling his gaze on her.  "I don't know what it is, Rose, for all I know, you could be immediately sacrificed if you go anywhere near it.  That's something I really don't want to risk."

Rose felt her mouth setting into a grim line in her upset.  "I was near it yesterday.  Nothing happened then."

The Doctor's eyes were boring into her, and if she had been a lesser woman, she would have backed down from his Oncoming Storm look.  Instead, she stepped closer to him, looking her right in the eyes, barely even allowing himself a moment to blink. 

"That doesn't mean nothing will happen now," he said, his tone scathing.  "I trust you, I don't trust whatever is behind this. I'm asking _you_ to trust _me."_

Her mouth was set in a thin line as she spoke.  "You know I trust you," she said softly, "I just want to help you."

"I know you do," he set his hands on her shoulders in a reassuring fashion.  "And you can help me by the waterfall."

She sighed and rolled her eyes, knowing there was nothing she could do or say to change his mind.  She walked to her side of the garden, the one dictated to her, and started to walk around a bit aimlessly.  It was hard to tell what she was looking for, aside from something that 'felt strange'.  

"Don't be angry with me," he called over, his voice near a whine. 

"I'm not," she replied, "Just focused."

"Tell me if you feel anything."

"Oh, I will."

He paused, sonic screwdriver halfway out of his pocket.  "Why did you say it like that?"

"Like what?" She turned to watch him and saw him swallow hard.  "Never mind."  He went back to his work at the altar and she sighed, going back to her own business.

Her first 'order of business' as 'keeper of the waterfall' was to look over at the fish to see if they were being affected at all.  If there were a disturbance, surely the animals would feel it first.  Wasn't that how most natural disasters worked? She chewed her lip and looked to the lake.  Bending down, she placed her hand in the water.  Three glittering fish immediately swam over and she stroked each of their blue, red, and purple backs in turn before getting up and moving on.  

So, the fish were normal.  That was always a good sign, or at least, it was supposed to be.  She glanced over at the Doctor to see exactly what he was doing.  At the moment, he appeared to be scanning the altar and land around it.  She doubted anything would be going wrong over there.  Of course, the people or person who was doing this would want to keep their 'aura' or whatever as far away from the altar as possible, because that was where everything was happening.  

Blowing out her cheeks, she turned back to the waterfall and started walking about, just trying to get a feel for the area.  She felt fine, nothing felt wrong, at least, but she kept going.  The more she walked, the more uneasy she got, but she supposed that was normal for the current situation and probably didn't have to do at all with the actual incident at all.  

Finally, she felt it.  A stirring and tingling at her right shoulder, as though someone was almost but not quite touching her shoulder.  She hovered her hand over the area, shivering at the touch.  It made her stomach turn in an unpleasant fashion and she turned her body towards it to feel it more completely.  The feeling washed up the front of her body and she jumped back with a gasp.  

"What, what is it?" The Doctor ran to her side immediately, scanning the space in front of her.  "Ah," he said.  "I think you might've found something.  Let's find out, shall we?"


	6. Chapter 6

Rose stepped back to allow the Doctor to get closer to where the sensations were coming from.  The sonic seemed to blip out and the Doctor frowned, smacking it against his hand several times and trying to start it up again.

They stood there in silence as he tried to figure out exactly what was going on, Rose watching him intently as he did so.  His brows were furrowed, his eyes focused, and she found herself fixated on the way his tongue stuck out of his mouth slightly.  That was something this regeneration had picked up from her, she had noticed. 

"That's odd," he murmured, almost to himself, and she snapped out of her reverie that had her focused on him.  "It doesn't want me to look at it."

"Does that mean it's sinister?" Rose asked, dragging her bottom lip between her teeth in her worry.  His face was drawn in worry, she could sense his upset, even if he thought she couldn't.  She knew that, that he thought she didn't know when he was upset, but she could read him like a book.   

"Might be," he said softly, tapping the sonic,  "But I can't do anything about it, regardless.  It doesn't want to let me in, but there is _definitely_ some sort of alien tech at work here."

Rose furrowed her brows.  "From this planet or another one?  At this point, alien could mean from Earth," she pointed out.  

The Doctor nodded, allowing her that little bit.  "Possible, but unlikely.  As much as you lot on Earth want to take over the universe in the future, there's always a few pacifist countries that stop you.  And they do a fine job of it too.  Instead of fighting, you just spread out, breed, become something new," he smiled at her, "It's a beautiful thing."

"You mean like, humans and aliens get together?"

"Humans are compatible with most species.  Whether or not that would be desirable is left in the eyes of the beholder."

Rose felt her mouth open slightly at that particular bombshell but knew she probably couldn't or shouldn't say anything about it.  It was hard not to stare at him when he was just standing there, looking gorgeous with his brows drawn together.  She promptly closed her mouth and swallowed hard, nodding her agreement.  "Well, yeah, I guess not everyone wants to marry someone green and slimy."

"You're being alienist," he said teasingly, nudging his shoulder against hers as he continued to fiddle with his sonic.  

"You of all people should know I'm not alienist," she retorted, hoping he could see exactly what she was trying to convey.

The Doctor offered her a soft look, clearly reading her just as well as she read him.  "No, you prove time and time again that you are an open minded, compassionate woman."

She blushed and looked away from him.  He'd really never called her a woman.  'Companion' maybe, 'human' yes, 'friend', but never 'woman'.  She tried not to read too much into it; she couldn't possibly expect anything from him, especially of that nature.  No matter how tenderly he had held her the night before, he was an alien who wanted nothing from her and she was going to learn to accept that.

"Ah!" The Doctor crowed happily, properly shattering the moment as the buzz of the sonic entered the air again.  He pointed it at the air and let it run for a moment, patiently standing, rocking back on his heels every so often with his nature keeping him from standing still.  

He pulled the sonic away after a few moments and seemed to be checking the reading.  "Yes, it would appear to be alien," he told her thoughtfully. "Definitely."

"Bad or good?" she asked. 

"It's the sign of a teleportation device," he said, not really looking at her. "Whoever is making sacrifices at a peaceful altar is sneaking in via teleport to do it.  My question is, why come here?"

Rose furrowed her brows and looked at him worriedly, ignoring his question entirely.  "Can you shut it off?  Keep them from coming back to use the altar at all?"

"Yes," The Doctor nodded.   "But they would know I tampered with it and would simply set up a new one.  Can't really afford that, we'd just have to find them again.  Bit counterproductive, that."

"So-?"

"We hang around here, set up some surveillance,' he started digging around in his pockets and Rose looked at him with a bemused look on her face. 

"You have surveillance cameras in your pockets?" She asked dubiously, her eyes to where he was elbows deep in his jacket.

"Superior biology, superior Time Lord tech," he shrugged, looking incredibly nonchalant for someone who could most certainly climb into their own jacket and fit there comfortably.  "Could practically fit a whole planet in these pockets, would the situation call for it."

She grinned at him, "Let's hope it never does."

He shot her smile back at her and pulled out a little wireless disk with flashing blue lights on the outer rim, with a larger one in the center.  The material appeared to be metal, but knowing the Doctor, it was probably something lighter and more efficient.  It was just barely bigger than the Doctor's palm, and that seemed to be exactly what he had been looking for, because he hummed happily and went back into his pocket for seconds, putting the first disk in his mouth.  He pulled out two more of the little things, and handed one to Rose.

"Stick one on the wall somewhere, maybe near the teleport.  I'm going to put these by the altar," he said decisively in a no-nonsense sort of way.  

She was not in the mood to argue with him, in fact, she didn't want to, so she nodded and took the little disk from him.  It was cold in her fingertips, but she had been right, it was most certainly lighter, and she wondered exactly how long the Doctor had been carrying all of them around with him.  

Rose moved to the waterfall, and called over her shoulder, "Are these waterproof?"

"Yep!" The Doctor shouted back, popping the 'p'.  "Nearly indestructible, and they blend into their surroundings, go on."  He pushed her a little and she gave him a look before walking away from him.

She placed it just on the edge of the lake, where she could reach without falling in.  He smiled at her expression when she watched it transform, taking on the appearance of the stone and foliage behind it.  It seemed to fade into the background, and after a few moments, she couldn't see a thing where she had put the disk.  She squinted for a moment, trying to see it and failing, before letting a smile completely overtake her face in her amazement.

"That's brilliant!" She cried out without turning around, and the Doctor chuckled.  "But wait, now it's going to watch us swim and investigate and stuff."

She sounded uncertain, maybe even a bit uncomfortable, which the Doctor thought wouldn't do at all.  "Nobody but us will have access to it, Rose," he said in a tone that he hoped was reassuring, though without touching her.  "We're review it later, alone in our room, with no monks peeking over our shoulders, I promise."

"Alright," she said, still hesitant, but she backed away from where she had put the device.  "Are you done yet?"

He set up one of the surveillance devices right across from the altar and looked back up at her.  She'd completely missed him putting the other one up and he replied,  "Yeah, just about."

"And we can't... I dunno, block that particular teleport signal?" She asked, "Keep that particular signal from getting in so they can't build a new one?"  

The Doctor smiled at her words.  It was really very clever, and he lifted a shoulder.  "Were it not so strong a signal, yes we could.  But their tech is too advanced to be blocked out by a simple signal disruption.  We don't have anything on hand we can use.  Back at the TARDIS?  Well, that would be another story entirely.  This will have to do."

Rose looked around, and he could tell she was searching for her next questions.  "Okay.  And how are you going to get your little cameras back when we need them?"

"They're not cameras so much as devices," the Doctor replied.  "I have a homing device in my pocket, with a screen on which to watch the footage.  We'll be just fine and so will these little things.  We won't even need to pick anything up.  Sound good?"

He looked anxious for her response, and Rose nodded quickly.  "Yeah.  Are you... Are you alright?"  

The Doctor nodded and turned away from her, not letting her see his face for just a moment.  "Yes, I'm always alright.  Now, then, Rose Tyler, what do you say we do some more exploring?"

She wisely let the matter go and nodded, grinning widely.  "Absolutely."

She was glad the Doctor had been there before, because the walls all looking the same got her all turned around, and she really wasn't sure which way to go until he was tugging her either left or right, and even that was so brief that she was never really quite sure where they were headed.  The only thing that changed was the view from the windows, which she decided was going to have to be the way she found her way around.  She kept an eye on them as they walked, then, and tried to build up a mental map of where they were.  

He nattered on as they walked, about the history of the monastery and Jebraxa.  He'd been there once before, he said, and wrote Lekan letters sometimes, but other than that had no lasting connection to the place. 

"So he just thought you'd pop by if he asked?" Rose asked, furrowing her brows.

The Doctor shrugged, reaching down to interlace their fingers.  "I suppose.  And why wouldn't I?  That's what I wanted.  I wanted people to be able to call me if they needed me."

"Like a Doctor," She said, smiling up at him and nudging his shoulder with hers. 

He returned her grin on a softer scale.  "Yes," he said gently, "Like a Doctor."

They walked in silence for a few moments as they walked about the monastery.  She enjoyed the silence, the companionable comfort that settled between them.  There was something very certain about the other person.  

She leaned her head against his shoulder as they walked, not necessarily feeling tired, but definitely relaxed.  "I can't wait to go swimming," she voiced lazily. 

He laughed lightly, a sound more like a gentle huff.  "I think we'll do that tonight before it gets too cold."

"If you get the timing off, I'm blaming you one hundred percent," she said. 

"Oi, I'm a Time Lord," he said simply.

"Twelve months," She sing-songed, lifting her head off his shoulder.  

He jostled her lightly, tugging her hand, and she giggled, falling into his side, their fingers still interlocked.  

"Are you turned around?" He asked as they walked up another set of stone stairs. 

Rose looked around.  Everything was most certainly the same, from the spacing between the windows to the pattern of stone on the floor.  She shook her head.  "No, I don't think so," she said, peering out one of the windows, the air from outside blowing her hair back.  "I can see, just out there, where we are because of what's outside."

The Doctor smiled brightly at her and she shook her head, laughing.  "Shut up," She said fondly.

"No, really, Rose, you're brilliant," he said excitedly.  He sobered quite suddenly and focused on her face.  "I want you to be safe," he said, "Of course I do, and so if you know your way around this place, I can..."

"Feel safe about leaving me alone?"  She squeezed his hand.  "It'll be fine, Doctor, you don't have to worry about me."

He blew his cheeks out.  "I'm really starting to think that it's my job to." 


	7. Chapter 7

Swimming, Rose decided later, was the most brilliant idea that she and the Doctor had ever come up with on their travels.  Even in his ninth body, she'd never seen him in swim trunks, but here she was, standing before a man who had blue trunks on, swim trunks!  And underneath that, below the knee, she could see he had _legs._ That was a wild thought all in itself, as she had never seen them before.  And now, she couldn't quite stop herself from staring.

Her body was clad in a green bikini she couldn't remember picking up from the TARDIS and a modest dressing gown to cover her and protect her decency.  After all, it would't do to stumble across a monk in just a bikini  The very thought almost made her blush. 

It was still short, though, and left quite a lot of leg on display.  She hadn't worn a swimsuit since the last time the Doctor had taken her to a beach, so she was feeling a touch self concious about the whole thing.  

"Well, then, let's go," she said, shoving all her other thoughts away and slipping her feet into a pair of flip flops. 

The Doctor looked distracted, and she wondered if he could stop thinking about the altar for long enough to enjoy himself.  When he flashed her a smile that she knew was reserved especially for her, she returned the grin, feeling a bit more assured.  

He took her hand, as though there was no other means of letting her leave the room, and they walked to the altar courtyard again.  Though he wasn't about to tell her, while they walked and chatted, the Doctor had mostly let Rose lead them there.  The thought was reassuring, that she would be able to find her way back to the room, a safe place, at any given point in time.  

When they reached the lake, Rose peered warily up at all the windows around her.  "Are you sure they're not gonna look down here and get scandalized?" She asked, unconsciously drawing an arm around herself.

"Nah," The Doctor shook his head, and she tried not to stare as he removed his t-shirt.  "You know, Lekan said we could take evening meal alone in our room, since we'd probably be late to the real one anyway. Doesn't that sound nice?"

"Yeah," Rose said, though she was staring at the very place she'd been trying not to stare at since his fingers had brushed under the hem of his top.  In retaliation (though it wasn't retaliation if the other person wasn't looking, was it?) she took off her cover up, leaving it in the grass and looking over her shoulder at the Doctor.  "They're too quiet when the eat anyway," she laughed. 

He hummed in agreement.  "They are," he said.

"Well, you with the unstoppable gob," she teased him.  "I think you probably get a twitch when you're quiet for too long."

He stepped over her cover up and beamed at her.  "I think you know that best."

Of course, he followed her like a lost puppy as she walked towards the bank, and she stuck her toe in the water.  "Is it heated?" She asked upon feeling warmth seep into her skin from the lake.

"No.  Natural temperature for the planet," he said easily.  "The fish like it warm, and Rose Tyler likes it warm."

She laughed.  "How's that work, then?  If it gets so cold at night, you know."

"Yeah, well, the science is a little different here.  Everything is a little off color, so to speak, a more abstract list of rules and laws, but it's just fine for this place."  He dipped his toes in the water and smiled as a few of the glittering little fish swam up to his feet.  "I know it's not what you're used to.  It's kind of like a warm spring.  You know, like a hot spring, but..."

"Warm and not hot?" She finished, arching an eyebrow at him. 

He laughed and nodded.  "Yes, warm.  Comfortable.  Just above room temperature.  Go on then."

She shuffled her feet farther into the water.  It was heavenly, like stepping foot in a warm bath.  She let her eyes flutter shut and she tilted her head back. "That's so nice," she said lowly as she felt the excited little fish swimming around her feet.  One of them bumped into her left foot and she giggled, wiggling her toes.

She made an effort to take a few more steps into the water until she was in up to her waist.  "You know, I thought it would just drop off like the ocean does," she said, "But it doesn't, it's just a slope.  Kind of like a pool."

"I can't say I've ever been in here before," he admitted, coming up beside her.  "But yes, it does appear to be man made.  Probably by the monks."

He laid his hand on the small of her back as he slipped a little and she grabbed his arm.  "You alright?" She asked, her fingers curling into his forearm.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he laughed.  "It's a bit slick here.  Thank you."

He left his hand on her and they walked in slowly and carefully until the water was up to the Doctor's chest, a little higher on Rose.  She tilted her head back and moved so she was floating on her back, her arms spread out.  The fish swam around her and a lazy smile crossed her face.  "You know, if it weren't for the impending doom, I'd want to stay here for a long time.  Nice, big holiday at the monastery." She said teasingly.

"Without me?" He said, feigning upset.

Rose wrinkled her nose and tilted her head slightly to look up at him.  "Oh, I don't know, could be nice, no yammering about sonic devices all the time."

He smiled at her.  "Well, who else would give you a cuddle?"

"Oh, that is a point in favor of you, Doctor."

He was almost gazing at her, the way he was looking, and if she hadn't been in the water she would've been shivering.  Instead, she just found herself gazing right back as she floated there.  She tilted forward so she was on her feet again, her toes digging into the soil. 

"What do you think of all this?" he asked suddenly, "Does it frighten you?"

She frowned a little and shook her head, meeting his gaze.  "No, not really," she said.  "I feel safe when I'm with you, Doctor."

Her honesty seemed to startle him, his eyebrows raising in shock.  "Well, I can't imagine why," he said in a sputtering voice, looking away from her. 

"What?"

"I said, I can't imagine why."

"Alright, but why would you say that?" 

He trickled water over his fingers by bringing them out of the water and letting the droplets flutter over his skin.  "Krop Tor.  Cybermen, Daleks.  Anything, really." 

Unable to stop herself, she shuffled forward in the water to wrap her arms around his neck, hugging him close to herself.  His hands flailed a little in the water for a moment before hugging her around the waist, his chin on her shoulder.  

"It really is something beyond your control," she said softly.  "I love traveling with you, Doctor."

He smoothed his hands down her back and pulled away to look her in the eye.  "And yet you are always in trouble, with me."

She smacked his shoulder.  "I like the trouble."

The Doctor blew out his cheeks and then grinned at her, splashing her gently with water.  "You know, I rather noticed."

She splashed him back.  "Did you?"

"Yes, I did!" 

Soon they were splashing each other quite vigorously and laughing, the fish being careful not to run into them.  The water never got caught in Rose's eyes, the Doctor was very careful of that, but she grinned at him and wet his hair rather spectacularly, his hands running through the strands.  His breath hitched but she didn't notice and slicked his hair back.  

"Look at you, all fifties again," she laughed.  He grinned back at her. 

"You know, we could always take another shot at the fifties," he said, swimming farther out to where his feet could't touch the ground anymore.  She reached out to pet one of the fish a little distractedly. 

"Yeah, we never did see Elvis," she laughed.  "I want to."

He dunked himself under the water and lifted up, flinging his hair back again, some of his fringe splayed across his temple.  "I guess if you really, really wanted to see _him."_

"Jealous, are we?"

"Oh, not at all."

She grinned and reached out to pet more of the fish, their glittering scales mesmerizing under her fingers.  The Doctor laughed and pet one too.  "You like the fish, don't you?" He asked. 

Rose nodded mutely.  "I do, they're pretty," she said, "And friendly.  We have never seen fish this friendly."

"Well-"

"Oh, shut up, maybe _you_ have," she looked up at him with mischief in her eyes.  "I'm just trying to experience the universe."

"And so you are."

They played in the water with the fish for a couple more hours before Rose started to tire and the Doctor suggested they go back up to their room.  Rose picked up her dressing gown from the grass.  "Do we need to shower?"

The Doctor licked his arm and squinted up at the darkening sky.  "Well... No.  The fish clean the water, it's practically spotless.  Well, figuratively, of course."

"Of course."

She belted her dressing gown and he took her by the hand.  Once again, he let her take the lead back to their quarters, seeing if she knew her way.  They chatted as they walked, mostly about the water, for Rose was really quite curious about it, and they made their way back.  The Doctor breathed out a sigh of relief.  If anything happened to him while they were here, he was rather certain that she would be able to at least find her way about the monastery.  

Rose fetched some pajamas from her drawer and went into the en suite to change.  As she did so, the Doctor found the two trays of fruit, fish, and bread the Lekan or one of the other monks had set out for them.  He placed them on the bed and changed himself quickly into the pajamas left for him and waited for Rose.

She came out looking more than a little tired, and her eyes settled on the food.  "Of good, I'm starving," she said, crawling onto the bed and sitting cross legged next to the Doctor.  She tucked in and he watched her for a moment before following in her lead. 

Rose watched him for a moment, then asked, finally, "Alright, so what is it, then?" she asked, "You must be on a lead of some sort."

"My lead is that tomorrow we watch the footage from my devices," he said. 

"But there hasn't been anything on the altar.  That's impossible, isn't it?  To find anything?"

The Doctor shook his head.  "There will be something," he assured her, "There has to be.  We'll wait until tomorrow night.  I'd like to go into town to ask the locals if anything mysterious has been going on."

"And how far is the nearest town?" Rose asked a little dubiously.

He squinted, clearly trying to think back to the last time he had been at the monastery.  "About three Earth miles, give or take?  That's the closest, mind you, there are certainly more important towns farther out."

"I guess we would want to go to an important one, then."

"Not necessarily.  Sometimes it's the lowest people who know the most.  We'll try there first, make a day trip out of it."

She laughed and nodded, agreeing.  "Sure."

The conversation that carried on as they ate was minimal, as Rose's eyelids grew heavy as the moments passed.  She placed her tray off the edge of the bed and laid down near the wall, her now designated spot.  The Doctor laughed.

"Bored of me already?"

"Tired," she mumbled, shifting about to get under the covers.  He followed, but didn't curl around her as he had the night before.  He sat up instead, against the modest headboard.  It occurred to her that he was keeping watch, guarding her from anything that might be on the other side of the door at any given moment.  She looked over at him.  "You don't need to sleep tonight?" She asked, but it was more of a statement.

He shook his head.  "No.  I wish I'd brought a book, though."

"Might have something in my rucksack," she said, sitting up and crawling over him so he wouldn't have to sift through her unmentionables.  She pulled out a thick book that she knew wasn't hers.  "The TARDIS keeps packing stuff that I don't know I need until I need it."

The Doctor smiled and took the book from her. "Thank you."  He flipped through it and tried to ignore the jostling of the bed as Rose crawled over him again and back under the covers.  She sighed and cuddled down in the blankets.  

"She does that, you know," he added.  "Gives you things you might need before you know you need it.  It's a hobby of hers.  She likes giving you things.  Or me things, in this case."

She huffed out a laugh at his poor grammar.  He seemed a bit distracted.  "Goodnight, Doctor."

Sensing she was quite serious about the whole "sleeping" thing, he smiled down at her, but of course she didn't see, her eyes already closed.  "Goodnight, Rose."


	8. Chapter 8

Rose was sleeping rather hard when she was jarred awake by an arm wrapping around her and drawing her against himself.  She sighed heavily and shifted around in his arms, pressing her nose against his chest.  His happy hum reverberated against her chest and she giggled, wrapping her arm around his waist. 

"We'll have to get up soon," he whispered, as though he was afraid of scaring her off or making the moment shatter.  

She felt the heaviness of sleep still hovering over her and shook her head against his pajama top.  "Goodnight."

He chuckled.  "One more hour," he said, and she could tell his tone was trying to be commanding, but the Doctor had become a bit of a pushover when it had come to Rose, especially since Krop Tor when they started sharing a bed.

She fell asleep quickly, her breath evening out, rippling through the fabric of his shirt.  Although the Doctor had slept the night before last, he allowed himself that hour of sleep to pass the time until they had to go into the nearest town.  

Rose practically felt him wake up, as it started with his hands rubbing up and down her back, trying to wake her.  She shifted away from him and opened her eyes, nodding.  "Yeah, alright, I'm up."

"You got another good hour in," he said helpfully.

She grinned sleepily at him.  "Is it going to be hot today?" She asked. 

The Doctor thought for a moment, tilting his head to the side.  "Maybe?  Bring a jacket to be safe."

Rose looked at him, as though waiting for him to move before she got out of the bed herself.  He didn't and she sighed, crawling over him to stand on the floor.  "There's nothing else on this planet I should worry about, is there?  You know, like, acid rain or something?"

The Doctor laughed and rubbed his eyes, sitting up.  "No, no acid rain.  If it stings a little, it's because you're allergic to the chemicals in the rain, which you shouldn't be."

"Is it going to rain?"

"Shouldn't."

"Alright then," Rose pulled her jeans and t shirt form her bag before dashing into the en suite to change.  Based on her knowledge of the Doctor, she knew that it was in her best interest not to keep him waiting.  She was dressed and out quickly, arching her eyebrow at him.  "Are we eating?"

"Oh, Rose, you haven't appreciated true Jebraxan cuisine," the Doctor said.  "Here, we can run down and grab something, but I'd rather we eat in the town."

Rose found herself growing excited at the very prospect of trying something new, as she usually did when traveling with the Doctor.  It had opened her up quite considerably, so to speak.  She'd eaten some very strange things since meeting him and was sort of all the better for it. 

The Doctor changed and they had only a moment to ask Lekan for a  bit of bread and water before they took off into the woods.  Rose was happy that she had brought her good running trainers and not just regular boots.  The terrain was a little rough, with an odd root skipping up and making her trip, or just the Doctor walking her too fast and causing her to stumble. 

"Three miles?" She asked, tying her hoodie around her waist before slipping her hand back into the Doctor's.  

"Yep," he said, popping the 'p'.  "Three Earth miles, that's all it is."

"And what's the name of this town?"

The Doctor said a word that sound remarkably like a sneeze with a comma in the middle.  She looked up at him in shock.  "Bless you," she said politely. 

"No," he laughed and shook his head, "That's the name of the town, Rose."

"How is it that the planet has such a pretty name and then they name the towns stuff like _that?"_

He shrugged.   "Dunno, I guess they think it's appropriate.  Another story is that this town in particular was named by the illiterate."

She couldn't suppress a laugh at that.  "And what do you think?" She asked, "Was it named by the illiterate?"

The Doctor looked at her helplessly and said the word again.  He screwed up his nose in thought.  "I rather think so."

They fell into silence as they walked, merely enjoying each other's company and helping the other person not to slip.  Turns out the rubber on the Doctor's trainers wasn't alwasy as helpful as he thought it to be, as he almost fell and took Rose with him several times when stepping over a wet rock or something of the sort.  She was almost forced to relinquish his hand but every time she loosened her fingers, he seemed to grip them tighter.

She knew he was afraid.  That was not the question at hand.  Of _course_ he was afraid, feared for her safety.  Just because she wasn't really afraid of what was to come didn't mean that he wasn't.  In fact, he seemed more aware of her mortality than she was.  That was Krop Tor's fault, she imagined.  Of course, she hadn't shaken the bit about dying in battled, but she had sort of assumed that she would, because a life with the Doctor wasn't exactly safe. 

The sounds of the forest brought her out of her thoughts.  There were the sounds of birds, but not anything like normal birds, or anything she had heard before. She looked around, trying to locate them based on sound, but although she sometimes saw the ruffle of the treas, never laid eyes on one of the birds.

"Are there animals in this forest?" She asked, looking around and trying not to stumble into the Doctor's side. 

"Yes," the Doctor nodded.  "Little mammals, like you would have back on Earth, and they have deer here, except they're black."

Rose furrowed her brows.  "How would the deer blend into their surroundings then?" Rose asked, "If they're darker than the trees and stuff."

"Because they're poisonous," The Doctor replied.  "Their meat is toxic.  If they ever actually were eaten, it would only be by some fool who didn't know any better."

She was quiet for a moment, processing that.  "Do you think we'll see one?" She asked suddenly, squeezing his hand in excitement.

He grinned over at her.  "Maybe," he relented, "But it would be closer to the outskirts of the forest, if we did.  They're not very friendly."

"That's okay, I just want to look at them," Rose said, "You know, we never see them back in London." 

It did not escape her that she had said "London" and not "home" and that was simply because the TARDIS was her home and London was not.  She didn't think such a thing escaped the Doctor either, because those things never did.

Their walk through the woods caused sweat to bead on Rose's forehead, and she was glad she'd not had the foresight to put her hoodie on.  It was very rainforest-y in her opinion and she wondered if it was only so cold at the monastery because of the stone that it was built out of.  She considered asking the Doctor about it but decided against it at the risk of sounding stupid.  

Finally, she could see through the woods and into what appeared to be a rather primitive village.  She squinted a little, trying to see it, and then looked over to see the Doctor peering around at the forest.  It occurred to her that he was looking for the deer and the thought made her smile a little bit.  He sighed a little in what she assumed to be disappointment before tugging her along a bit more so they could reach the edge of the wood.

"I should let you know that the people here are not quite... Well, they're humanoid, yes, but not like Lekan."

"Alright," Rose said, swinging their hands a bit.  "Yeah, well, we've seen aliens that are a little bit on the odd side, that's nothing new."

The Doctor made a non-committal sound in the back of his throat.  "Well, things are a little more taboo here, by your standards," he said.  

Rose was about to question why he had said that when they emerged from the forest and she saw for herself.  

The people around her were practically filled with piercings, all along their faces, cheeks and noses and eyebrows and ears.  Rose felt her mouth drop open before she quickly snapped it shut again.  She tore her eyes away from the glinting metal and instead stared at the Doctor.  "So, they, uh-"

"It's a ceremony," the Doctor said, "When the men here turn twenty one, they start getting piercings. They continue to get them once a year until they die.  It's 'for the gods'."  

Rose shivered.  "Ooh, that sounds awful."  

The Doctor squeezed her hand.  "Well, we need to talk to an elder.   Come on, lucky for you I know one of them."

He led her into the village farther and she shrank against his arm, wanting to be closer to him to feel safe.  "How do you know he's still alive?" Rose asked, smiling at some of the people who were staring as they passed them, regardless of how she felt about their appearances.  

"Because the people here live for over five hundred years.  If Lekan is still alive, so is he," the Doctor replied.  "By the way, once we're finished here we'll go to a more... Civilized city in Jebraxa to inquire about the disappearances.  This is kind of what your people would call 'Amish' by Earth standards.  They live in the past while the world carries on the same. Some would argue that the monks do that too."

"People are always holding onto the past," she mused.  He hummed in response and walked them towards the largest hut.  It was dark, blending into the forest, and incredibly ceremonial.  It wasn't so much wide as it was large, and Rose found herself awestruck by the abilities of people that had minimal tools.

The Doctor was unperturbed by the people or their faces, dragging her right into the hut, under a blanket that served as a door.  She pushed aside the colorful tapestry to step inside.  It was oddly light, with torches lining the rounded walls.  Furs covered the floors, long and (Rose suspected) fluffy and soft to the touch.  

A man sat in a large throne like seat that was covered in the same furs that graced the floors, and Rose wondered if that was simply because it got so cold at night.  If that was the case, they probably had enough furs in here for the whole village... Or town, she supposed. 

"Oxuzi!" The Doctor greeted the man in the throne as though he was an old friend, which he probably was.  Rose tried very hard not to let her jaw drop at the appearance of the man before them.  They all possessed piercings, aside from the women and a few of the men who were most certainly very young.  One of the men with a clean face stood to the right of the 'throne', his hands clasped together in front of himself.  Rose mused how odd it was that these people were the anomalies in the situation.  The Doctor was right, something like this would be incredibly taboo back on Earth.  

The man, Oxuzi, she supposed, had big, thick rings through his nose and ears.  Little studs were scattered along his cheeks, chin, eyebrows, and temples, and she felt a wave of nausea build up when she saw some shoved in his nose and the cartilage of his ears.

Oxuzi raised his eyebrows, stretching his skin with the movement.  "Doctor?  Is that you?"

"You know everyone, don't you?" Rose muttered, and the Doctor offered her a smug grin.  

"Yes, it's me, new face."  He gestured to himself and squeezed Rose's hand.  "This is my companion, Rose Tyler."

"She's blonde," Oxuzi said approvingly.

"Is she?" The Doctor looked over at Rose with a faux shocked expression.  "I really hadn't noticed."

Rose laughed and shook her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said, though she struggled to make eye contact.  

"You as well.  This is my grandson, Abesi," he said, gesturing to the boy who was piercing free next to him.  "Excuse his appearance."

Rose wisely bit her tongue but offered Abesi a friendly smile.  She then returned her gaze to Oxuzi and leaned over to the Doctor to whisper, without moving her mouth, "He looks like a door knocker."

The Doctor snorted and Abesi covered his mouth with his hand, so he'd obviously heard her.  Rose gave the Doctor a bit more personal space as Oxuzi spoke again, clearly oblivious to her little aside.

"Now, Doctor, you don't visit without a reason, do you?  What's happened?" 

"Well, Oxuzi, to be quite honest with you, we were wondering if you had seen any odd disappearances in the village.  People are being sacrificed at the monastery without a trace and-"

"It is not our concern what the monks do," Oxuzi said coldly.

The Doctor regarded Oxuzi with a cool stare.  "I know of the Agreement.  And you know as well, that the monks don't sacrifice.  They never have, and Lekan is quite upset by all this.  I'm simply asking you if any of your people have gone missing."

"They haven't," Abesi said, stepping forward.  "We had an ordinance, for our next ceremonial piercings, and everyone was present and accounted for."

He was looking at Rose much like a lost puppy, and she took pity on him, addressing him directly.  "Do you know where we should look to find where the people have gone missing from?" She asked him, ignoring the Doctor grumbling next to her.  It made her grin a little, the jealousy.  

Abesi nodded, looking to his grandfather for permission.  Oxuzi gestured to him in affirmation.  Abesi grinned, his whole face lighting up, and he changed his gaze back to Rose.  "I'm sure the Doctor will be familiar with Gezecki?"

"Of course!" The Doctor cried.  "One of the main capitals.  Surely any disappearances would be recorded there." 

"Yes," Abesi agreed.  "I think it would be in your best interest to look there.  May I escort you from the village?"

Rose wasn't looking forward to walking again, especially since they hadn't had anything to eat or drink since their bit of bread and water that morning, but she gave a tight lipped smile.  It wouldn't do to be rude to such frightening people. 

"Abesi, that's a bit rude.  These travelers must have walked from the monastery," Oxuzi scolded.  "Now, you must come and have a bit of food and drink with us.  Follow me." 

Oxuzi descended from his seat and a few people who had been in the hut that Rose hadn't even seen before scrambled up to walk with him on the way out.  The Doctor tugged Rose along so they'd be behind that whole group.  Abesi trotted up to walk beside Rose, making the Doctor bristle slightly. 

"I think he looks like a door knocker too," he whispered, "I don't want the piercings."

Rose furrowed her brows in confusion.  "You shouldn't have to."

"It's for the gods," Abesi replied.  "It's expected.  We must."

Rose looked to the Doctor for help.  He nodded and looked to Abesi, offering him a smile.  "Maybe you can be the one to change things, then."

Abesi grinned.  "Perhaps I can."

Rose offered another reassuring smile to Abesi and followed the Doctor and the rest of the procession to what she supposed, but the long hut they were walking towards, was the dining hut. 

"Thank you, Rose Tyler.  I believe you will forever be a bright spot here."

Rose beamed and knew she wasn't imagining how the Doctor's hand tightened around hers.


	9. Chapter 9

Oxuzi, his entourage and Abesi led the Doctor and Rose into the meal or dining hut.  Rose was relieved to see that there was more than just fish, fruits, and vegetables.  The arrangements of meat were more diverse, was well as the spices and other things.  She could smell hot drinks, though she wasn't sure what they were, and the Doctor tugged her hand gently. 

"Here we are," Oxuzi gestured grandly to some of the people who were eating there.  It was clear it was very al la carte here, that people could eat whenever they wanted.  It was really very different from how the monks lived, and Rose could see very clearly why they didn't get along. 

They were led to a table, which was just that, a table, with crudely carved stools around it.  They sat down and Oxuzi told them to eat up.  Rose sat down and Abesi sat on her right, the Doctor on her left.  She watched as the Doctor looked over at Abesi and sniffed, appraising the other man.  

Rose glanced over at him, keeping a carefully blank expression on her face.  "Are you alright, Doctor?" 

"Yes," he said, his gaze snapping to her.  "Are you?"

She arched her brow, sensing this was him changing the topic, which he always did when things got a little too intimate between them.  She heaved out a sigh through her nose.  "Yeah.  I'm fine."  She gave him a tight lipped smile and turned back to all the food on the table.  There was a lot to focus on after all, though not as much as royalty would have at any given era.

Rose was surprised that the food was very similar to Earth's standards of it.  It was bland, overall, no special flavoring or anything at all making it special or different.  Even with the Doctor's attitude of being enthused at everything, he seemed a bit less impressed than usual.  She wondered if that was because of his automatic dislike towards Abesi.  The thought made her grin a little bit, because she really missed the possessiveness of his last body.  It was reassuring, comforting.  Now, she never knew where the lines were, and was always at a loss to try and cross them.

Oxuzi was eager to catch up with the Doctor and sat across from him instead of where his place probably was at the head. 

"And what brings you to Jebraxa this time?" He asked, "You are not usually a traveler without a purpose."  

"The disappearances," the Doctor said slowly, as though explaining it to a child.  "It's something a bit odd, don't you think?"

"Of course it's odd," Oxuzi said, furrowing his brows and making Rose wince with the action.  "But what business of it is yours?"

The Doctor hummed around a bite of bread.  "I find that most things in the universe end up being my business."

Oxuzi laughed.  "And your companion, here, do you worry she will vanish along with the others?"

The Doctor stiffened next to Rose, his suit jacket brushing her bare arm.  She looked over at him with a questioning look and saw his gaze close off to a neutral expression as he watched Oxuzi.  Rose watched him, studying the lines smoothing out on his face.  He schooled his gaze away from her, and she knew somehow it was for her benefit.  

"Of course I worry, that's why she isn't to leave my side," The Doctor said coolly.

Oxuzi must have sensed that something was off with the Doctor's words and tone, for he changed the subject to something Rose couldn't even hope to keep up with.  She continued eating in silence, listening, until she remembered she was sitting next to somebody else.  She turned to Abesi with what she hoped was a pleasant look on her face. 

"And what do you do, besides pierce your faces?" She asked in a jovial tone, and it drew a laugh from him. 

"We dance," he replied.  "The women wear bangles upon their ankles and we dance, to show our happiness, and our sorrow, and our anger."

She smiled, a more genuine expression then it was before.  "That's beautiful," she said softly.  

"I wish you could stay for our festival," Abesi said excitedly.  "In the dark people dress in their finest, colorful clothes.  They glow in the light of the fire and we admire each other's spirits."

Rose found herself drawn to the idea of that.  "I'll ask the Doctor if we can come back for it.  You know, after we've solved all this stuff.  When is the festival?"

"We have one every night," he replied, "There is always something to celebrate, Rose Tyler."

She smiled, liking the notion of that quite a lot.  "I think you're right, Abesi."

They never stayed for the aftermath.  That was a known fact of the universe, especially the Doctor and Rose's universe.  But this time, this _world_ pulled at something in her.  Maybe it was because they were humanoids but it wasn't Earth.  She wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to tell, but she knew that she did want to stay for a little bit at least.  

The Doctor and Oxuzi were still talking in low voices now, and Rose assumed he was explaining the blood and the altar.  The man's face tightened around the piercings littering his face.  She couldn't tell if it was anger at the actions of the people doing the sacrificing, or the monks.  Based on the mysterious 'agreement' it could be either, and with Rose's fondness of the monks, she wasn't sure she wanted to find out which one. 

Once the meal was over, Oxuzi's face smoothed over and he smiled at Rose (as much as he could) and she offered one back, though it was forced.  They were back in the pack that was set on leading them out of the town in no time, the Doctor's hand wrapped firmly around hers again.  

She looked up at him curiously, and when he looked back at her, his mouth drew into a thin line and he cocked an eyebrow at her.  She shrugged and looked away from him. 

"No, what?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied, "You're just acting weird."

He sniffed indignantly, "I am not." 

She giggled and bumped his shoulder. "Okay, sure."

He looked over her head at Abesi, who was a couple feet farther away then he had been the first time they had walked together.  "What were you two talking about?"

Bingo.  She smirked at that little revelation and schooled her expression before she beamed up into the Doctor's face. "Abesi was telling me all about this festival they have to celebrate their lives every night.  When we've sorted everything, I dunno... Could we come back, and go?" 

She watched the warring expressions flitting across his face, and his gaze flicked from her to Abesi a few times before he looked at her and nodded. "If that's what you want."

He sounded resigned, and that simply wouldn't do at all.  She furrowed her brows at him.  "What, and you're not coming?"

"I... Well, I don't really... Rose, that's not really my thing," he admitted.

"What, staying?  I know it's not, it's not usually mine either, but I want to, and I want you to experience it, too.  You haven't yet, have you?"

"No," he relented, "I haven't."

"Good, then that's what we'll do."  She squeezed his hand in what she hoped was reassurance and got a happy little smile in return.  

They walked mostly in silence, with Abesi sometimes making a comment that Rose was interested in and inquired further about.  They were walked to the edge of the wood and given a map.  

"Here is where you will find Gezeki," Oxuzi said, "I think you will also find that the people there are not quite as in tune with the Earth as we are."

Rose bit back a giggle and nodded seriously instead. "Of course.  We'll be careful."

"I could go with you, if you wanted," Abesi said, "As a guide."

"That won't be necessary, thanks," the Doctor said abruptly, pulling Rose along with him.  "Thanks for everything!" 

Rose tsked him once they were out of earshot.  "That was rude."

"Was it?"

"You know it was."

"I'll tell you what, though."

"What?" She asked as he tried to hold the map with one hand so he could still hold hers with his other one. 

"Their _piercings,"_ He shuddered.  "Much more gruesome then the last time I was here."

Rose cringed.  "Yeah, I don't know about all that, Doctor.  And poor Abesi has to go through with it even though he doesn't want to."

"He won't be quite so pretty then, will he?" The Doctor asked peevishly, nearly tripping over a root in his oversight. 

She snapped her head to look at him.  "You're jealous!"

"I am not!" he countered, releasing her hand and tramping along in front of her. 

She laughed and adjusted her hoodie where it was tied around her waist.  "Oh, you _are._ It's all fine and dandy when you don't want to touch me, but when someone else does-"

"Anyway-"

"-No, I'm not done!" She trotted up to keep pace with him.  "What did you think was going to happen, Doctor?  Because nothing was going to."

The Doctor cleared his throat a bit violently and kept his stride ahead of hers with no problem, thanks to his longer legs.  "I didn't think anything."

"It's alright, Doctor, we all get jealous sometimes," She said, reaching forward to pat his arm.

"You get jealous?" he asked, suddenly curious. 

"Oh, no you don't, Doctor. Admitting anything is going to go both ways here, and I haven't heard a peep out of you."

He huffed in what she supposed was frustration and walked even faster, a good three paces ahead of her.  He shook the map probably a bit more aggressively than was necessary and looked around at their surroundings.  He seemed to figure out where they were going and chose a direction. 

She gave him space, taking the hint and deciding not to take things any farther than she already had.  It was probably too much.  She felt her stomach grow cold.  She'd done something wrong, she had a feeling of that now.  It shouldn't have been brought up.  She blew out her cheeks and shuffled along behind him, picking carefully over roots and plants and large flowers. 

Much later, when sweat made Rose's hair cling to her forehead and her temples where it wasn't pulled back, she heard the Doctor shed his coat and place it over his arm.  Time Lords didn't usually perspire, she knew that. It had to be a number of different emotional combinations that made them do it, a mixture of chemicals in the body.  He loosened his tie and she felt her breath hitch against her will.  This man had absolutely too much power over her. 

"Rose?" He asked in a strangled voice.

"Are we lost?" she replied. 

"No." 

"Then what is it?" 

He looked over his shoulder, his fringe coming forward (the parts that didn't stick up everywhere) and plastered to his forehead.  She absently watched a bead of sweat track down his nose and towards his cupid's bow.  She licked her lips and looked back up into his eyes. 

His expression was pleading, and if she hadn't felt warm before, she certainly did now.  In fact, she was almost overheated with anything her body was giving her.  They watched each other, at a deadlock, and when he didn't speak, she swallowed and spoke again. 

"Are we close to Gezeki?" She asked.  

He nodded wordlessly before managing words.  "Yes, about a mile and a half out."

She looked up in the sky and drew her brows together in worry.  "How long have we been walking?" she asked in surprise.

"About three hours," he replied. 

She laughed.  "That's why I'm tired."

He offered her a tiny smile.  "We might just have to get a hotel when we get there," he said, "It's an even farther walk back."

"Okay."

The Doctor looked at her and then the path before them.  "Rose?"

"Yeah?  What do you want?"

He held his hand out and wiggled his fingers.  She laughed a little and walked forward to slide her hand into his.  That was all he wanted, was a hand to hold.  If there was one thing she could be for him, it was that.


	10. Chapter 10

Gezeki was closer to the city of New New York then the other 'city' they had just been at.  Rose felt her mouth drop at the paved roads and automobiles and giant buildings with glass windows.  

The first thing they had to do was pass through a massive gate at the front of the city, several meters out from where the woods ended. The Doctor explained to Rose in no uncertain terms that the people there hated the people from the village they had just left.  (To be more specific, he actually did say the name of the village, but Rose said 'bless you' again and it was really a vicious cycle).

Either way, they were let in once seeing that aside from Rose's ears, the two of them were completely piercing free.  The people here were completely humanoid, and it reminded Rose of a very advanced Middle Eastern country.  Everyone wore light, flowing robes.  The women wore their hair long and Rose wondered what made it shine like that.  She suddenly felt very masculine around them and their small jaws and glowing eyes and shrunk into the Doctor's side. 

He looked at her in confusion.  "Are you alright?" He asked, not for the first time that day.

"They're beautiful," she replied cautiously as they walked further into the city on the sidewalk, past shops and restaurants. 

He scoffed and her ears almost perked at the sound.  "They're pretty," he relented, "You're beautiful."

She colored deeply and murmured a quiet thanks.  She was not sure what had gotten into him today, but she was hoping that it would get into him for the rest of her natural life and part of an unnatural one that she hoped to grasp.  

He squeezed her hand in a reassuring manner, but as per usual, quickly changed the subject. "It's about four o' clock right now," he mused, "We're making excellent time."

"Well, who are we going to see?" Rose asked.  "No chiefs here, are there?"

He shook his head.  "No, our best bet here is to talk to the locals.  Since we'll have to check into a hotel anyway, I think we should ask people milling about there."

"Nobody knows more than the help," Rose pointed out, "If you want to get anywhere, you ask the staff.  They have the gossip."

The Doctor made an approving sound in the back of his throat.  "Good idea.  Let's see, then, there's plenty of hotels, but seeing as we're very impressive travelers, we have unlimited credit sticks."

"Oh, so you brought us some cash with us this time?" She teased, knocking his hip with hers.  He laughed but quickly threw her an indignant look. 

"You forget money for chips one time," he murmured to himself, and she laughed. 

The city really was beautiful, but she found it was a reverse of the village they had just been at.  The people here were giving them odd looks, as though they didn't' quite belong but they were appraising them.  Rose was a bit uncomfortable, but once a few people offered her polite smiles she relaxed.

The buildings were mostly white, Rose supposed to keep things nice and cool, like the robes the people wore.  Even the hotels, with their modern structures, only had trims made of color.  THey finally reached one that was lavish enough for the Doctor's liking and they entered.  

It was even more impressive on the inside.  Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling in the lobby, a massive check in desk providing a welcoming atmosphere.  

"I'll go check us in," the Doctor said, releasing her hand.  "You go start in on people."

Rose laughed and shook her head.  "Yeah, alright, but don't forget to come find me."

"What sort of a man do you take me for?"

She rolled her eyes, "Oh, I dunno."  He stared at her expectantly, waiting for her response, and she shoved his shoulder.  "Just go!"

He grinned at her, a thousand watt smile that meant that for some reason, known or not, he was truly happy.  He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and strolled towards the front desk, his easy manner catching the attention of the people behind the desk. 

Act like you belong, and people will believe it, Rose recalled in her mind.  Her mum had said that on multiple occasions.  Rose found that she didn't want to talk to the locals, even if it was for the greater good.  She wasn't a terribly insecure girl, that was besides the point.  The point was that the Doctor fit in much better here than she did.  

So, because of that, when her eyes landed on a young maid wearing shorter robes that were cinched at the waist, she found that _that_ was a woman she could talk to.  She approached her carefully, not knowing if people talked to the help on this planet, in this city.  She found that although the men repulsed her at piercing-city, she would have much rather stayed there. 

"Hi," she said as she approached the girl, who was loading up her cart with supplies.  

The girl's eyes were filled with surprise and she smiled up at Rose, her tanned face crinkling in excitement.  Her eyes snapped with merriment and Rose felt instantly at ease. "Hello," She said as she placed a few more things on her cart.  "What can I do for you?"

"I just had a question," Rose said, holding up one finger to demonstrate.  "My... The Doctor, over there, at the check in desk, and me, well, we were wondering if anybody here knew anything about disappearances."

"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific, ma'am," the girl replied.  "Disappearances are not common place here, but there are also not surprising."

Rose nodded.  "Well, I'm sure you know about the monks."

"Yes.  Kind people, good people."

"Yeah.  Well, we were visiting with them and there have been unholy sacrifices made on their altar that weren't done by a monk.  We figure people had to have gone missing for that to be possible.  There's hints of a teleportation device.  Do you know anything about that?" Rose was instantly afraid she'd said too many words and bit her lip. 

The girl considered for a few moments, folding over a towel.  "I do know that there were two disappearances from the hotel.  We thought it was people cutting the bill.  I would go in to clean their rooms and find nothing.  They were gone, but all their things remained." 

"That's exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about," Rose said, "How long has that been going on?"

"About four weeks," she said, "I don't think it's linked to the hotel, though, as it has happened down the road at someone's private home.  Pardon my asking, but are you human, Miss?"

"Yeah, I'm human," Rose nodded. 

"Then I would be very careful tonight, Miss." 

Rose felt a cold tingling run out from her shoulders at that and she nodded.  "Alright.  Thank you."

When she turned away from the girl, the first thing she saw was the Doctor sitting on a couch across from two lovely young women. Of course, he was doing that.  She blew out her cheeks and approached the couch.  She sat down a fair way away from him, but he looked over at her with a puzzled expression.  He grabbed her arm and tugged her playfully against him before lacing his fingers with hers. 

"This is my wife, Rose," were the first words out of his mouth, and she felt her eyes widen in surprise before she carefully schooled her features.  The girls smiled over at her and the Doctor looked at her to continue.  "They've heard of the disappearances-"

"Many of them in this very hotel," Rose nodded.  "I know.  One at a residential home down the street."

"Looks like you've found yourself a resourceful one, Doctor," One of the girls laughed.  "Well, we've got dinner reservations, maybe we'll see you round the hotel."

"Maybe you will," The Doctor smiled politely.  He looked at Rose.  "Come on, dear, we'd better go get settled."

She suppressed a snort of laughter as he pulled her along towards the lift.  

"You alright there, Doctor?" She chuckled, accidentally letting out the laugh anyway. 

"Perfectly," he replied, dragging her inside the lift and pressing a button with his knuckle.  He hadn't released the grip on her hand.  

"Why are we going up to the room so early?" She puzzled.

"Because I want to inspect the room," he said, jumping up and down a little.  It was clear that his energy was becoming increasingly nervous.  "There might be something in it, and I don't want us spending a night in there if it's unsafe for either of us."

"Okay," she murmured quietly.  "If you think it's unsafe, maybe we should go to another hotel."

"No," he said, "I'll stay up and keep watch." 

"Alright."  She was used to his lack of sleep, the Time Lord 'superior biology' he was quite fond of reminding her of.

Other people got on the lift then (two humanoids and an alien) and the Doctor fell silent, squeezing her hand in a 'this is fine' sort of motion, and they started to slide up more floors in the lift.  It seemed to take forever.  Rose wondered if he'd put them on the top floor so they'd be able to see everything.  The notion didn't really surprise her.  The closer they got to the top, the more she realized she was probably right. 

She wasn't exactly right, they were a floor below the top, but it was close enough that she counted it as a win for herself.  They left the lift and Rose found it almost hard to believe that they weren't in a standard Earth hotel.  It smelled like one, and looked like one, and she could hear the distinct thrumming of an ice machine down the hallway. 

The Doctor seemed to be distracted enough that he wasn't looking at that, though, and stopped them in front of a large door made of fine, white wood.  A symbol Rose had never seen before was carved into it and painted in with gold, so she assumed it was the room number.  The Doctor didn't say anything about it, though, just unlocked the door with the key they were given and opened the door for her to enter. 

"Oh," she breathed out upon entering.  It was truly beautiful, all high ceiling and modern fixtures.  It was really no wonder that the building was so big.  In the center of the room was a massive bed in a circle shape, so if you wanted to get to the middle where the pillows were, some crawling or jumping would have to be arranged.  

"Well, I'll just start investigating around," the Doctor said, clicking his teeth together at the end of his sentence, "You can probably catch a nap if you want."

"I want to help."

"I've got the sonic, Rose."

"Yeah?  Find something else for me to do then."  She crossed her arms, taking her hand from his in the process, and glared at him.  "You're acting so scared."

He ran his hands through his hair before shucking his jacket and looking at her with the fear she accused him of blatant in his eyes.  "I'm terrified," he said sharply.  "You are in direct danger here, something I didn't want to put you here.  I never would have brought us here if I'd known what Lekan was asking on the psychic paper."

Rose narrowed her eyes.  "We're needed here," she scolded him.  "You might as well let me help."

He sighed, his forefinger and thumb rubbing his forehead. "Rose.  If I let you help, if you come in too deep in this, you might be in more trouble than I can save you from."

"That's my decision to make," she reminded him gently, "You also seem to keep forgetting that I trust you.  Got it."

The Doctor managed a small smile, the left side of his mouth quirking up.  "Got it," he replied quietly. 

"Good," she put her hands on her hips, "Now, point me where to look."


	11. Chapter 11

He must have sensed that he wouldn't be able to deter her, as he blew out his cheeks and beckoned her closer with a wave of his hand, his fingers curling in on themselves with the motion.  "Alright," he said a little reluctantly, "You check the en suite, I'll see if there's anything out here."

"Disturbances?" 

"Yes."

She trudged into the en suite, more than a little furious at him.  He kept treating her like a china doll, like Krop Tor was an event they were approaching, not one they, or she rather, were trying to leave behind.  It was that hard for him to believe that she trusted him. 

The en suite was a small bathroom that was comprised mostly of a jacuzi bathtub with a sink and toilet crammed in, almost as an afterthought. S he wondered if he knew this and had given her this as an assignment on purpose.  She stood in the center of the tub for a moment, wondering if someone would teleport in to the room this way.  She felt ridiculous, but tramped around the large tub, every corner, feeling for something odd. 

She knew what she was feeling for, at least.  She'd felt it back at the monastery, the uneasiness.  Here, however, she felt nothing but cool air cycling through the room.  There was nothing here.  She walked by the sink, around the side of the toilet, trying to maximize every bit of space, but nothing in the atmosphere changed. 

About ten minutes later, she exited the room, shaking her head. "Nothing in thee, Doctor," she told him, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at the room she'd just left.  He looked up from his place in the corner by the bed and glanced her way.

"Ah.  Good.  I'm not finding anything out here, either," he got to his feet and tucked his sonic into the inside pocket of his jacket.  Seems this room is safe, but I'm going to lock the doors just in case."

"Right," she nodded.  "And in the meantime?"

He looked uneasy to say the least and that was when she knew that he was dead set on protecting her, no matter how it made her feel.  He was putting her first, as he had always tried to.  He hadn't always succeeded in that, she knew that full well, but he had always tried.  The Doctor shifted from foot to foot, his hands clasped absently behind his back.  

"You don't want to leave the room," she stated it, even though she'd meant to form it as a question.  That was probably because the both of them knew that it wasn't a question.  

"No, I don't," he replied.  "More specifically, I don't want to leave the room without you, and I don't want you to leave the room, so no. I don't."

She nodded in defeat and walked over to the (quite frankly, massive) bed and sat down, feeling it bounce slightly under her weight and the pressure with which she applied it.  "Okay," she said, lifting a shoulder.

He walked around to stand in front of her, staring down at her in surprise, his hands in his pockets.  Due to his height and her sitting, he was positively towering over her, and she swallowed hard.  Eyes that held the depth of the universe were trying to search her, until finally, he cleared his throat. 

"You're not angry with me?" He asked.

"You just want me safe," she replied, then furrowed her brows.  "That is what it is, isn't it?  This isn't some weird thing about me not fitting in around here, is it?"

The Doctor fell to his knees before her, a supplicant gesture that surprised her fully.  He reached out to cup one of her cheeks, his other hand falling onto the bed next to her thigh.  "Why would you think that you don't fit in?"

She shifted uncomfortably, the creaking of the bed sounding nearly obscene to her own ears. "Dunno," she said, trying to sound nonchalant.  "I just don't look like the people here."

His own brow looked worried now, his eyes soft and at the same time, still so dangerous that if she weren't his best mate, she would certainly be afraid of him.  "Rose." He said her name like a conviction and a promise.  "You not looking like these people is a good thing.  You didn't see anything wrong with not looking like the people in-" He said the name of their village again but it definitely sounded like a sneeze and she giggled.  

"They've got holes in their faces," she teased, poking his chest and then smoothing out his lapels.  It occurred to her how close he was to her, his chest between her knees, one arm almost around her while the other hand held her jaw in quite possibly the most tender gesture she had ever felt.  

He smiled at her softly, the corners of his eyes crinkling into crow's feet in a manner that was very becoming to her.  He reached around with the hand that was on her cheek and pinched her earlobe.  "You've got piercings," he teased her.  She giggled and rubbed her ear against her shoulder, taking his fingers with it.  

Her reaction made his smile broaden for just a moment before his face fell back to something more serious. "I meant it, Rose.  I'm glad you don't look like them.  There's not a unique thing about them.  Almost never was, honestly.  They all dress the same, look the same, talk the same.  Wouldn't that make you sick?"

She smiled at the earnest expression on his face.  He was really worried about this, she realized.  Without thinking, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him close to her.  He hummed happily and settled his hands firmly on her back, holding her probably a bit tighter than was necessary, but that was never something that Rose would complain about. 

They held each other perhaps a bit too long, which only added to her notion that her infatuation with the Doctor had grown into something much stronger and sharper than that.  She loved him, and could see it as clear as day.  She felt a wave of affection for him crash over her at the realization and stiffened when he shivered against her.  He pressed a kiss to her hair and pulled back slightly, a gentle look in his eyes.  

"Let's get room service then, eh?"

It was unusual, that the moment hadn't shattered as it had so many times before when they were close.  Usually something forced them apart a bit, usually with the Doctor springing away from her, babbling about some sort of science and running his hand through his hair.  Every time he'd done it, he'd hurt her, and though he hadn't meant to, she was sure he saw it on her face. 

Maybe all this was sparing her feelings, a look of pity even though he didn't want to be near her.  God, wouldn't that be a laugh?  She felt a sigh crawl up her chest and released it through her nose, not wanting to make a big deal out of anything at this point.  He was wanting to keep her safe and with him, which was progress on their relationship all in itself, and she was going to keep that as close as she could. 

He ordered them delicacies from the kitchen, none of which were Earth foods, and chatted easily about this and that, when they were going to Jackie's next, what sort of book Rose should pick up form the TARDIS library the next time she was there and so on. 

"You know, you could do your laundry at the TARDIS," the Doctor reminded her, kicking his shoes off and removing his tie. 

She tried not to be distracted by his casual stripping and shook her head.  "No, I should take it to mum.  I think she knows that if I don't take it to her than... Than there's no reason for me to come back."

"Is her being your mother not reason enough for you to visit?" he asked. 

"Not in her head," Rose admitted.  "She's got this notion that I'm not the same as I was, anymore, that I'm changing into you."

He snorted.  "I can assure you, you're not."

She grinned.  "Yeah, well, you and I know that, but she sure doesn't."

Rose was unsure of everything they ate, as it all looked discolored, and the texture and flavor didn't' match the appearance.  She forgot the names of things pretty much as soon as the Doctor said them and simply nodded whenever he handed her something new to try.  

It was strangely intimate, the two of them sharing a tray of food on a bed as though they were a couple on their honeymoon or something like that.  If there was something this wasn't, nor something they would ever have, it was a honeymoon.  

By the time they had finished eating, it was dark and Rose was feeling her eyelids start to grow heavy. "I don't have any pajamas," she mumbled, glancing over at the Doctor.  "Wait, do you still keep that-"

As she said the words, he walked over to where he had thrown his jacket and puled out a bag big enough to hold a pair of pajamas and her toothbrush.  She breathed out a sigh of relief and kissed him on the cheek before taking the bag. "I'm going to try that bath, too, looks absolutely heavenly."

She did try the bath, and almost fell asleep among the perfumed bubbles and warm water, so she decided it was in her best interest to get out and go to bed.  Her skin was flushed pink with the heat and the scrubbing of the towel along her body.  She put on the pajamas the Doctor had in his pocket, a vest top and lightweight pajama pants, and padded back out into the bedroom with her day clothes in hand. 

The Doctor was down to his trousers and undershirt and she tried not to be violently distracted by that fact, which proved to be difficult.  It was an irrefutable fact of the universe that the Doctor was incredibly fit.  She swallowed heavily and threw her clothes and bag down by his clothes.  

"Are you going to sleep?" She asked, crawling into the bed, having to go a few paces before falling onto a pillow. 

"Yes," he replied, "You need to sleep on the other side."

She look across the bed and up at him in confusion.  "What difference does it make?" She asked.

He shifted a bit, then waved his hand in a 'go over there' motion.  "Just do as I say, Rose."

"No, I think you know me well enough that it don't work like that," she sat up, regarding him carefully.  "Give me a reason."

"I don't want you by the door," he blurted out, gesturing to where she was and then the door.  That was true, she was on the side closest to the room door.   His face held anxiety when he looked back at her.  "Please, Rose, you know this by now."

She knew, but hadn't realized. "Sorry," she said softly, maneuvering over to the other pillow, which was thankfully closer than the edge of the bed to the other pillow had been.  She heard him breathe out a sigh of relief and he climbed in next to her, making the bed shake with his movements until he pulled the covers over top both of them.  He lay on his back and looked up at her a little expectantly.  She laid down, her head on one side of his chest, hand on the other.  He brought his arm up around her back and, cocooned in his warmth, found it easy to fall asleep.  

Rose woke to a hand over her mouth that was gloved and too large to be the Doctor's.  She had been pulled away from him and was far enough to the edge of the bed that she couldn't reach for him.  She began to thrash without seeing whoever it was that was on her, and she felt a panicked scream rise in her throat.  A blade touched her neck and she instantly stilled. 

"Your boyfriend here is a fool," a man's voice husked into her ear, hatred in every syllable. "I don't come in through doors."  He inhaled deeply as Rose shook with fear.  "Where'd you pick up a Time Lord, young lady?"

She tried to turn back towards the Doctor, but the hand stilled her. 

"Don't worry, he's properly sedated.  Things you're still dozing in his arms and will think that until morning.  Now," he pulled her up, making her fall to the floor.  She wheezed out a breath as she was tugged back to her feet.  She looked at the man who had captured her,, his eyes the only things she could see, as the rest of his face was covered by what appeared to be a ceremonial mask.  Crude colored patterns were drawn across it but she could see dark hair sticking up from the back of it, so it wasn't a full mask. 

She didn't know this man, could tell by his eyes, hands, and voice.  She clenched her fists at her sides and regarded him with a firm stare.  She swallowed, hard, trying to make herself look bigger.  "You can't take me from the Doctor," she said, firmly, "You can't."

Rose Tyler was a strong woman and would have continued to protest, except the man behind the mask punched her in the jaw so hard that she was rendered unconscious.  She was shoved under the bed and the man followed her into the teleport station. 

The one place they hadn't thought to check.


	12. Chapter 12

The Doctor woke up expecting to be curled up around Rose as he was every other night they had been on Jebraxa.   He noticed that he was on his side, facing the door, presumably turned away from her.  That in itself was not an alarming fact. 

What _was_ alarming was the fact that he could feel that at some point in the night, he had been drugged, sedated.  He pried his eyes open in confusion and sat up.  He felt groggy, which was not normal for a Time Lord, they usually just snapped awake, fully charged, and went about their days. 

This wasn't like that.  He felt almost human with the way he wanted to succumb back to sleep, with the way it was pulling at him.  He glanced to his left, where Rose's body should've been... But wasn't. 

He furrowed his brows and sprung out of bed. Now that was unacceptable.  Rose always stayed in bed until he was awake or got out of the bed, if he slept at all.  If he left her at some point in the night, there was no cause for alarm, because he was a bloody _Time Lord_ and didn't sleep quite as much.  

Rose, though.  Rose should sleep eight hours a night, at least, and if she wasn't here, if she had disappeared.  He glanced to the en suite door to find it open and charged in, shouting for her.  The room wasn't very big, so realistically, she should have called to him after the fist time her name had slipped past his lips. 

She hadn't.  She wasn't here.

Panic rose like bile up from the Doctor's stomach and into his mouth, forcing a choked sound out of him.  He rushed to the door of the room and checked the lock.  It was perfectly in tact, there had been no break ins during the night.  Her day clothes were still here, piled and folded next to the items he had discarded for the night.  He furrowed his brows.  That meant she hadn't left the room of her own will. 

His hands started to shake in fury and fear as he fumbled for the sonic screwdriver, bending down to his thrown jacket to do so.  The second he picked it up a reading went off and his hearts sank in his chest.  He blew out a shaky sigh. 

This was very simple.  There had been a teleportation field that he hadn't seen, lodged under the bed, and as a result of his idiocy, Rose was gone.  He sat down heavily on the bed and ran his hands through his hair.  The sonic gave him another reading, and he glanced down at it mournfully before picking it up to check it. 

The field was gone.  It had been removed that morning, very early that morning.  What had happened was no mystery.  She'd been taken and he'd been drugged to ensure that no one would come after her.  His breathing was ragged and he dressed in a flash before tearing out of the hotel and practically running all the way back to the monastery.

As some would say, he had tapes to check. 

***

He was exhausted from the adrenaline and running when he got to the monastery, but couldn't be bothered with it.  He also hadn't eaten.  He ran into Lekan, whose eyes were widened in shock.  

"Doctor! What is it?"

The Doctor carded his hand through his hair, still breathing heavily.  "They've taken Rose.  Whoever is behind this has taken Rose.  I've got some things to check, my devices, I can't-I won't-"

Lekan's eyes softened at the panic flooding through the Doctor.  Even if he could not see, there were things that Lekan could.  "Go, Doctor.  You must find her in some way."

He felt his hearts clench.  "Yes, I do," he whispered.  He vanished from Lekan's side, taking off to his and Rose's room to look over the monitoring system on his device. 

The Doctor felt as though he'd been struck in the throat when he entered their room, the scent of her perfume assaulting him immediately.  He took a seat on the bed, which only smelled more strongly of her, and removed the monitor from his pocket.  

Using the sonic, he forced it back a day and a half so he could look at the things they'd recorded.  It landed right to footage of him swimming with Rose, and he felt his windpipe tighten at the sight.  She was happy, her smile lighting her face.  He watched as the version of him on the camera looked at her pet the fish, the smile of a besotted fool on his face.  He was gazing at her, and as much as the Time Lords would be disgusted, the Doctor was not. 

He wished he had touched her more, that day.  Wished he'd taken her into his arms, held her close and told her exactly- no.  No, that wasn't the point, would never be the point.  She wasn't his to own or claim or touch at all.  By Time Lord standards, he was already taking liberties by taking her hand and holding her much closer than was appropriate.  

The point _was_ that she was gone, and he needed to watch and figure out where she'd gone.  His tongue touched the roof of his mouth, a habit he had picked up from her, as he forced himself to fast forward until they had left the lake.  The water sliding off her body was alluring and he clenched his teeth, almost biting down on his tongue in the process. 

He didn't have time for this, didn't have time to be obsessed with her.  What he needed was to find her before he could do that.  

The screen was on a time lapse, the numbers of the time clicking away on the bottom left corner of the screen.  Nothing was out of the ordinary.  The sun rose and set and the fish were the only living beings at the lake. 

He felt like he had been looking at the screen for years and years before he saw a flicker in the upper right corner of one of the cameras.  He quickly paused and rolled it back slowly, trying to find the precise moment he'd spotted. 

After several careful minutes, he found it, scrolled back to the moment a flicker of _something_ caught his screen.  It looked like some sort of blur in the time space continuum.  The Doctor whipped out his glasses and set them carefully on his face, peering at the screen with a new sort of determination.  It could be a teleportation field, but what had happened must have been that someone saw the cameras and instantly vanished. 

The Doctor looked at the rest of the camera angles that he and Rose had put up, but there was not a better way to look at it.  Whoever was using the teleport knew that they were here, watching, now.  He shouted in anger and ran his hand through his hair, frustration mounting through his whole body.  He hated this, all of it.  It was downright _rude_ of them to be evading him so efficiently.  No matter how much he enhanced the image, there was nothing he could do to trace it or find how it had gotten into the monastery.  

Blowing out a sigh, he let it run on a time lapse again, watching for several minutes.  The little blip in time did not appear again.  He swore and threw his device down on the bed.  She was gone, _gone,_ he'd lost her even though he had barely saved her from Krop Tor.  This... Now, this was unfair.  

Choking on a sob, he sank into the bed, his body enveloped in the scent of her perfume.  He was a goner, really, and it was all too late.

***********************

Rose woke up in something that reminded her rather vividly of the patient containment units from New Earth.  She blinked slowly, feeling sluggish and wincing at the painful ache in the back of her jaw.  She opened her mouth slowly but quickly shut it when pain shot through her.  She groaned through her teeth and set her head back, finding it hitting the wall. 

Ah.  So she was definitely in a capsule. It was pure white, but the glass before her was not frosted, and she could see out into what appeared to be an office.  The desk appeared to be holographic but still held up a pencilcase and stapler.  She furrowed her brows.  Those were odd things to be on a desk like that. 

She tried to move but found her wrists bound at a 90 degree angle, as though she were gripping the chair arms in a car seat.  Her ankles were free, but with her limited space, that didn't do her any good, and she knew it.  

Instead, she kicked the glass, finding it incredibly thick.  She wasn't hoping to break it, hoping to catch his attention, more like. 

She worked her jaw until the pain subsided enough for her to scream for help.  She slumped and whimpered in upset before standing up again, kicking the glass. 

Finally, a man, or at least, she supposed it was a man, stood before her.  He wore a black jumpsuit that almost looked like it was meant to be a normal suit.  His skin was a sickly sort of yellow, but she had a feeling that was natural for him.  His eyes and hair were the same shade of grey-blue, and there was nothing but steel behind those eyes. 

"Yeah, what are you doing with me?" She said. 

The man, albeit scrawny, did not seem intimidated by her.  He reached to the side of her capsule and spoke, and his voice filled her space.  

"I am glad it was not my pleasure to sedate you," He said cruelly.  "That was simply a regular _man."_

Rose narrowed her eyes.  "Waiting for an answer to my question, here."

The man sighed and rolled his eyes back.  "Oh, yes, of course, the world must revolve around the human.  I forgot.  Do you not care to ask my name?"

Rose fought down the urge to scream in frustration and instead said, "Sure.  Fine.  What's your bleedin' name, then?"

"Kalickte," he said, slowly, as though he wanted her to absorb every syllable of his name.  "SUrely you know your purpose here."

"Surely I do not," she replied. "I want to know why I was dragged out of bed and punched in the jaw."

Kalickte sighed, like this whole conversation was a burden on him, and he really did have better things to do then talk to her.  His hand remained on what she supposed was a button that let him talk to her, or let them hear each other.  

"You are here as a sacrifice to the gods.  Clearly."

She felt her stomach sink at the news, almost making her feel like she was going to retch.  She sagged a little bit.  "Oh, my God."

"You will be brought to the altar in the morning, but your clever friend seems to have eyes on this," Kelickte frowned, his skin wrinkling horribly like paper.  "Does he not know this is none of his concern?"

"People have died," Rose insisted, deciding that since they didn't know the Doctor's name already, it was probably in his best interest that she didn't say it.  It could, quite literally, mean life or death for him.  And if she didn't make it, she wanted him to.  "I don't want any more people to die for no reason!"

"You are a fool," Kelickte said simply.  "You live no more after tomorrow.  You may wish not to sleep before your eternal one, but I believe there is nothing at all left for you to do."

The glass started to frost, taking his cruel, stoic face with it.  She shouted and rattled her wrists in her bonds, kicking her feet.  "Get me out!  Get me _out!"_

She was panicking, she knew that, but at least in other life or death situations, there was time and thought to run.  Now there was no where to go.  She thrashed around and felt tears squeezing from her eyes in her fear. 

A hissing sound alerted her to mist coming down from a spigot at the top of her capsule. She screamed and fought until she was once again fully sedated.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the random hiatus. Not many of you know that I'm a singer, and I wouldn't have become one if I hadn't found Christina Grimmie while I was shuffling through Youtube in late 2009. Her death hit very close to home and I have been crying quite a lot. Coupled with the other events in Orlando, it made for an incredibly stressful weekend, and I needed the break, but I'm back now and I apologize for the absence! 
> 
> Enjoy!

The Doctor had been in a considerable state since finding out about Rose's disappearance.  Lekan came up to the room several times to beg the Doctor to eat, but his stubbornness wouldn't allow it.  He went over the footage over and over in a panic. 

"I have to find her," he said, gathering up the device.  "I'm going down to the lake."

Lekan furrowed his brows and worry.  "To do what?  And for how long, Doctor?"  The Doctor didn't reply and Lekan repeated, "Doctor?"

"As long as it takes.  I'll stay there as long as it takes, Lekan."

"You love her."

The words made the Doctor freeze, his hearts stuttering in his chest.  "Time Lords aren't supposed to love humans," he said in a voice that he tried to make sound cold.

Lekan laid a kind hand on the Doctor's shoulder, a sort of fatherly gesture that felt unfamiliar but at the same time welcome.  "I know, Doctor.  And I think you also know that you are far too late to abide by rules like that."

The Doctor closed his eyes.  "I need to go," he said, "I don't need to eat, I'll be fine, thank you."  He disappeared around the corner and Lekan shook his head.  He would lose her for certain if he continued to be such a fool about the woman. 

Lekan offered up a prayer for Rose Tyler and returned to his study.  There was still work that he must do, after all.

His blood rushed in his ears, his coat billowing out widely behind him as he rushed to the lake.  There hadn't been any blood on the altar when he and Rose had been there last, and of course, he hadn't seen anything but the blip in time.  But now that they had her (he was certain it was them) they would be returning, regardless of the danger they were putting themselves in.

Oh, and they _were_ putting themselves in incredible danger.  The Doctor was not about to stand by while Rose Tyler was killed. They had to bring her to this altar.  There was nowhere else to go, the Doctor knew that.  It simply met that the people, whoever they were, would be coming prepared.  

But they were no match for an angry Time Lord, the Doctor knew that.  Were he a different man, he would try to convince Oxuzi to bring warriors up to him.  But he knew, with his extensive Time Lord knowledge, that they would not relent, and neither would the monks.  They were not allowed on each other's soil.  

He finally reached the lake and approached the altar, before thinking better of standing right next to it.  He paced, wildly, his rubber soles of his converse tearing through the grass.  A bubbling sound alerted him to the lake and he saw the glittering fish swimming towards the side of the lake, close to him. 

Sighing, he sat down on the bank, reaching his hand into the lake to pet them.  The swam on top of each other, vying for his attention. 

"You're clever fish," he remarked, "I know all about you, we used to study you.  You have an attention span. Good for you," he couldn't stop himself from smiling a little as they fought for his attention.  "You remember her, I'm sure."  He hesitated.  "We'll see her again soon.  I promise."

He drew his fingers back from the lake and watched as the fish scattered, sensing they no longer had his attention.  The Doctor sighed and turned back to the altar.  He was usually a patient man, could wait on a hiccup in a timeline for days on end without moving, but somehow that seemed much more difficult this time.  He was fidgeting, uncomfortable, on edge.  

She wasn't close.  Somewhere, wherever they had her, wasn't anywhere near Jebraxa.  He could sense her, though he wasn't sure he'd ever tell her that.  It would probably make her remarkably uncomfortable, and that really wasn't something he wanted.  Had he not been sedated, he would have been jarred from sleep the second she had been removed from his side.  She was close and he could _feel_ her, and it was a good feeling.  If she wanted to leave, he would have to adjust to be without her.  

Regardless of what happened, he would have to adjust to be without her. 

The altar was clean, he could tell that from here.  No blood, not since he'd stopped checking the tapes.  So Rose and her captors had not been here.  Of course not...  He swallowed hard, hoping they would arrive soon.  They needed to come now, because he was starting to get jerky with nerves. 

Night fell, and still the Doctor sat.  He stayed, his eyes fixed on the altar, his mouth drawn in a tight line and his shoulders tense with worry.  If he could track her with the TARDIS, he would've, but he was afraid that the moment he left, her captors would arrive and he would track her right back to here.  And it would be too late if he did that. 

The image of her body, battered and broken with her life's blood covering the altar, made him shiver and wish that he didn't have such a vivid imagination.  It would be her hand, the one he held, hanging over the side, her fingers curled in on themselves as though seeking something, but not knowing what. 

He swallowed heavily and blinked.  When he did, her body vanished from the altar, leaving it white and spotless as it had been before.  He rubbed his eyes and looked on.  The trouble was not staying awake, the trouble was staying focused. 

The last body, the ninth one, would have had no trouble with this, no trouble at all.  But even with his loyalty and fixation on Rose, he knew this body was sporadic and didn't much like to sit still, much like Rose herself.   She'd rubbed off on him, in more ways than one. 

Now, he scolded himself, it wouldn't do to think of that now.  All he had to do was wait, and they would find themselves together again.  He had to believe that, if anything else.

***  
"And still, he waits!" Kelickte shouted, slamming his fist on the desk.  Rose watched from the capsule, her glass un-frosted once more in the 'daylight hours'.  Oh, she had a feeling it hadn't been a whole night where she'd been frosted in.  She wasn't really sure, and knew there wasn't a way to tell.  All she knew was that she had to keep her wits about her. 

"He'll wait for at least five and a half hours," she said easily, kicking her foot out to give her muscles something to do.  Just in case she got the chance to run.

"It's already been longer than that!" Kelickte sounded indignant, and the way he was pouting reminded her of a sickly, petulant child.

She felt a watery smile crawl across her face, her heart swelling with affection for him.  "Oh.  Good for him, then."

He would wait.  He would wait until her captors couldn't anymore, and they'd have to carry on with the sacrifice.  It seemed that Kelickte's frustration was shoving him towards pulling her right to the altar.  

"Well, we cannot wait!  The sacrifice must be conducted now!  It must!"

A knock sounded on Kelickte's office door, out of Rose's line of sight, no matter how she twisted and craned her neck.  Kelickte swore in a language that the TARDIS seemed to see fit not to translate for her.  He flung the door open and other angry members of the same species flooded in, all with the same grey blue hair, but the eyes were different colors.  Rose wondered if that was the determining factor that made Kelickte the leader.

"What is taking so long?  Why have we not teleported?" One man, tall and hefty, roared, his vibrant green eyes flashing wildly.  Rose winced just looking at him.  She was lucky it hadn't been him that had hit her. 

"The Doctor continues to wait," Kelickte said in a snarky tone, putting his hands on his narrow hips.  

"He does?" A stocky man stepped forward to what Rose could only observe was a sort of computer, or surveillance.  "Oh, he does.  Oh, but now he _cries!"_

The creatures in the room tittered their laughter at the Doctor's 'foolishness', but Rose felt tears spring into her own eyes at the notion that the Doctor was crying over her. For all he knew they had taken her somewhere else to kill her, and how awful would that be?  He was uncertain, and there was no reason for him to be otherwise.  But still, he waited. 

She felt more affection and love crash over her, letting it overtake her whole being.  The man at the computer narrowed dark brown eyes at it.  "He shivered."

Rose perked up at that.  Was it possible-? No.  No, it was cold at night.  Was it night?  Perhaps... She let herself feel everything once more and the man laughed.   

"He shivered again!  And oh, how he weeps!  Let's go now, Kelickte!  While he is weak!"  The man clapped his meaty hands in happiness and Rose closed off her emotions.   If she was somehow sending them his way, she should keep it to herself, to keep him together.  It was important that he stay alert, especially now. 

"Perhaps that is not a bad idea," Kelickte said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.  "Retrieve the human."

The glass before her dissolved and her bonds released.  She jumped out and tried to escape, but two large aliens grabbed her by the arms before she could escape.  "We must put her in the traditional sacrificial garb."

Rose shrunk back.  "No, you aliens aren't seein' me in the altogether!" 

Kelickte rolled his eyes. "You may keep your human undergarments, and we will turn away.  But that Encranorphs are a asexual species."

Rose swallowed and filed that away as her heart hammered in her chest.  She had to hold onto something real, and now she had it.  A name.  She nodded and they shoved a white, gauzy garment at her.  Her arms were released and she caught it, her hands shaking.  The Encranorphs around her faced their backs to her, but many of them were so much taller than her that it would be impossible for her to make any sort of escape.  She took a shuddering breath and changed slowly, trying to bide her time.  She left her trainers on, just in case. 

Of course, that didn't go over well and they made her take them off, leaving her in bare feet.  The dress fell to her feet, that was true, but she still felt incredibly exposed. 

There was so much she wanted to shout at them, as the burly aliens took her arms in a vice grip again.  She wanted to tell them that the Doctor would not stand for this, and that of course she was safe, she was always safe with the Doctor.  But she wasn't with the Doctor and she was still a bit afraid, but the fact that he waited or her in the same way that she would wait for him offered her some sort of reassurance.  She tried to offer him the same, but she didn't know if it would work.

It was possible that the telepathic field was stronger in this area.  She wasn't sure where she was, but when one alien moved out of the way, Rose saw through the window that they were not even on Jebraxa.  The sky was sharp yellow, the clouds mint green.  No.  She was not even remotely safe.  She wasn't even on the same _planet_ as the Doctor, and now that she knew that, she felt her anxiety skyrocket.

Kelickte typed something out on his odd little computer before joining the others around her.  He held a little contraption in his hand and she knew exactly what he intended to do with it.  She swallowed hard and closed her eyes, preparing herself.

A shot of pain went through her and she cried out before a pop sounded through her head and she was taken away, possibly into the Vortex, and headed for the altar.

And not in the way she had expected when she was a little girl.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for not being mad about my break. The next chapter of my AU will be up soon!

Rose had a feeling that teleportation was probably the most uncomfortable thing she had ever experienced.  It felt like she was being taken apart and put back together, and she felt more than heard herself cry out.  The dress whipped around her legs and she clenched her hands before gritting her teeth.

Her arms tingled, and for one freeing moment, it felt like Kelickte's men weren't gripping her.  It was almost as though she was free, floating in space.  Even if that were true, she was afraid to move, just in case the teleportation was touchy and would pull her into one thousand pieces if she moved even a little bit.  

She heard someone screaming in the distance and realized it must be her, out of pain and fear.  She tried to stop it but found that the sensation was too overwhelming and she couldn't turn it off.  It was painful and she could feel her heart slamming against her ribs.  It felt as though it would never stop.

Finally, she felt something other than pain.  A familiar sort of cold set in and she opened her eyes again, looking out around the garden that was so familiar yet now gave her a feeling akin to horror.  This sort of cold was usually chased away by being held by the Doctor, and now... She swallowed hard before gulping in cold night air, the feeling of it like icicles against her exposed and barely covered skin.  

She looked before her and saw the Doctor.  Her heart jumped at the sight of him and on instinct she tried to run to him, but Kelickte's men held her back.  She groaned in frustration as the Doctor jumped to his feet.  His tie was loose and his oxford rumpled, his eyes looking oddly tired.  He clenched his fists at his sides and stared at her, as though he could draw her closer with his mind alone. 

"Ah, you fool," Kelickte laughed, walking around his posse to the front of Rose, brandishing a long butcher knife.  Rose felt fear strike her and she stumbled backwards.  The men cackled and the Doctor's eyes hardened, snapping to Kelickte.  

"I think that's enough," the Doctor said lowly, "You let her go."

Kelickte gasped in faux shock.  "The Doctor, was it?  Ah, yes. We've not met before, but I'm afraid you think yourself higher than I?"  He scoffed.  "You are incorrect."

"I don't think myself better than anyone, but I know that Rose Tyler is not to die yet," the Doctor said, chancing a tense step forward. "I am not anticipating her funeral and I won't watch her die."

"Stick around, Doctor, you just might."

The men were too strong for Rose as their grips tightened on her.  She kicked her feet as they lifted her up, trying to fight them, twisting her arms in ways that would have thrown off human men.  These aliens had grips of steel and she had a feeling that she was not going to be escaping so easily.  She was proved correct as her back slammed onto the marble of the altar.  She cried out at the cold of the table and the force of the impact. 

"Rose!"

She could only see the blackness of the sky as the men pressed their hands over her wrists and ankles.  She flailed about, confused and frantic, and when they lifted their hands, she still couldn't move. 

"Invisible bondage?" The Doctor's voice was raising in his anger.  "That's inhumane!" 

He was about to shout again, she could tell, but Kelickte pulled out a little futuristic looking remote and leveled him with a smug stare.  "You don't want to know what this is for."

"I know what it's for," the Doctor said lowly, "I have been to places and seen things, done things that you would never imagine.  Let her go."

Kelickte laughed and pressed a button on the remote.  Rose shouted as she felt slicing across her ankle.  The Doctor let out a strangled cry as well, as though he felt it as well.  She whimpered and thrashed in her bonds, blindly hoping that she might be able to twist just the right way to get out. 

He brandished the knife and walked over to Rose.  He trailed the blade teasingly across her jawline and she flinched away from the touch, keeping her eyes on the Doctor.   His brows here drawn and his jaw was set.   She knew that look, but it was never directed at her.  The Oncoming Storm, yes, this was him, powerful and domineering.  He was bigger than life, better than her, higher on the evolutionary scale.  And now, he was going to save her. 

"Take that away from her," the Doctor said through clenched teeth, "Don't touch her."

"Why do you care?" Kelickte asked absently, and his man cackled.  "Why do you care what happens to a random woman?  A human no less, below you?"

Rose swallowed heavily and watched him, waited for him to say something, _anything,_ even if it was to dismiss her.  

The Doctor regarded Kelickte and raised his chin in upset.  "She is not some random woman, and she is not below me, if anything, she is better than me."

"Ah, then she will be very pleasing to the gods."

"No!" The Doctor shouted, and Rose could've sworn that the sky darkened even further with his words.  "You want impure people, but you really shouldn't be wanting people at all.  Why are you killing, how does this help your gods?"

"The gods require sacrifice!" Kelickte raised his hands, the knife glinting in the movement.  Rose felt the inexplicable urge to cry.  She was going to die.  This was it, she was going to die. 

"Oh, come _on,"_ the Doctor rolled his eyes, his natural self falling back into play, and that gave Rose the inkling that he had an idea.  He shoved his hands in his pockets and Rose noticed that he must have been shaking.  "The humans stopped their sacrifices years ago, because they realized it was idiotic.  Did you not?  Are you so far behind the humans on the evolutionary scale that you don't know when to quit?"

Kelickte glared at her angrily, then turned back to the Doctor.  "I dare not to imagine what the humans do.  I dare not to care.  The sacrifice will commence!" 

The men cheered, some jeering at Rose.  The Doctor lunged forward. "You've defiled her!" 

Everyone fell silent, as though they were not quite sure how that particular word applied to them _or_ their sacrifice.  But they regarded the Doctor carefully. 

"Her jaw," he said, his voice breaking.  "You bruised her.  She is... Unfit, yeah?"

"What do you care?" Kelickte asked, "Ahh... You merely want us to let her live.  You clever man.  Unfortunately, your foolishness will not be enough to save her.  How stupid of you to think that something like that would keep us from the sacrifice!"  The men followed the lead, laughing in an uproar that deafened the Doctor and Rose. 

Rose glanced down at her ankle and saw blood seeping out.  They were torturing her with the invisible restraints.  How, she didn't think she'd ever be able to tell, but it was enough to draw a cry of fear from her throat that was covered by the laughter of the men. 

"What makes her so special?" Kelickte jeered, approaching the Doctor, twirling the knife between his sickly looking fingers.  "What?"

Usually, Rose had the moment to muse, the Doctor talked about how beautiful a species was.  Even in France, he'd marveled over the clockworks before bothering to save her.  This intensity, this one-mindedness to save her was what scared her more than anything else.  He was focused on her, one hundred percent. 

"Oh, the Time Lord, you _are_ a Time Lord, aren't you?  You have nothing to say!" Kelickte laughed. 

"Nothing to say!" One alien shouted.

"What a silly little _animal_!" One of the burly men who had carried Rose shouted gleefully.  Rose thrashed some more on the altar and someone cuffed her on her bruise.  She screamed, her eyes watering involuntarily from the pain.  She blinked the tears away in frustration, wanting to be able to see, wanting to be able to fight her way out. There had to be a way, that the Doctor found or that she found.  

"What is it then, Doctor?" Kelickte asked, spreading his arms in a cocky motion, getting out of the Doctor's personal space, but still showing a sense of power.  "What makes you want to save her so badly?  This pitiful girl, who is already so close to being killed?  Her blood will be shed.  What is it, then Doctor?  What is it?"

Rose watched heat rise in the Doctor's face, his frustration building to the point of entire madness.  His eyes flashed with anger, and he let his gaze flick to Rose.  He said something.  It was quiet and she strained to hear it, but he was too quiet, almost as though he had said to himself. 

"What was that, Doctor?  I didn't hear you!" Kelickte sing-songed, twirling the knife, clearly trying to torture the Doctor. 

"I love her!" The Doctor shouted, looking resolutely at Kelickte.

The silence that fell over the garden was deafening, more deafening than the laughing of the aliens.  The Doctor took a step back, shock overtaking his face, as though he couldn't believe he'd said that.  He gulped and Rose watched his chest rise and fall in what was either fear or exhilaration. 

The only sound Rose heard was the sound of her pounding heart.  He loved her. He loved her!  She wanted to shout her reply, but given her current position, she fount that probably wouldn't do anyone any good.  She wished he would look at her, though, prayed for his eyes to meet hers in a completion of the confessions of their feelings.  

She let out a strangled sound of frustration that was more breathy than she had intended.  Kelickte's eyes were drawn back to her and a slow, wicked smile crawled across his face.  "Oh," he said, tracing his finger along the edge of the blade of his knife.  "She feels quite the same, doesn't she?"

"Rose," the Doctor said softly, his eyes almost pleading.  She tried to sit up, wanted to get to him, but someone gestured and Kelickte pressed a button on his remote.  Rose felt something bite into her other ankle and she cried out, her back arching off the altar.  She collapsed back, her vision blurring with the pain. She whimpered slightly and her eyes slid closed. 

"You let her go," the Doctor said firmly.  "You've had enough."  

"I don't think I have," Kelickte said, walking right over to the side of the altar to stand over Rose.  "It's really too bad, Doctor," he trailed a finger along her cheek.  "She is rather aesthetically pleasing.  If my species weren't asexual-"

" _Shut up."_

"Oh, a bit testy?  Now, I wasn't here for an argument, so if you don't mind, I would like to get this done now." 

The Doctor tried to break out in a sprint, but the men who had held Rose back reached over to grab him.  They whipped him backwards and he shouted in surprise.  He tried kicking his feet, but they lifted him, and Rose realized at that moment that she was done for.  She barely heard the _thunk_ of her head hitting the marble of the altar.  She closed her eyes and braced for impact. 

She heard Kelickte begin to utter foreign words, making her squeeze her eyes shut tighter in fear.  She waited, and waited, and the words flew from his mouth.  She could hear the Doctor fighting and thrashing, cursing in Gallifreyan and calling out for her.  

"I love you, Doctor," she whispered, to herself, and smiled softly as the words let warmth press through her.  Those words had belonged to him for so long, and even though she wasn't sure he'd ever hear it, but it didn't matter.  It never would, it never did. 

She could die happy, she knew that now.  He loved her.  And she loved him, oh, he knew, he had to.  She closed her eyes and prepared for the inevitable.


	15. Chapter 15

Rose waited for the knife to pierce her chest, waited for the strike of it, the metal in her beating heart.  It didn't come.  What did come was a cry from the Doctor that made her eyes shoot open.  He looked like he'd had some sort of epiphany and she watched him carefully.  Kelickte looked confused and he sagged a little. 

"Look, Doctor, I don't mean to be the bad guy here.  I'm just doing-"

"What you think is right," the Doctor interrupted, not taking his eyes from Rose.  "What you _think_ you should do, what your gods tell you, or anyone above you, for that matter.  You're wrong."

Kelickte sputtered in a frustrated sort of way, flailing his hands. "I'm _not,"_ he protested.  "There are many things of loyalty to consider, Doctor?"

"Have you considered that you don't have a pure humans on your hands?"

All eyes turned to one of the stone windows above the waterfall.  Lekan stood there, his eyes roaring and piercing all at the same time.  Rose felt her breath hitch in fear.  She knew Lekan was on her side, but she had never seen his expression look quite so terrifying. 

It was then that his actual words hit her.  Not a pure human? What was that supposed to mean?  Feeling afraid, she wriggled in her bonds, and Kelickte pressed the button on his remote that sent stabbing pain through the back of her wrist.  She cried out and the Doctor turned on Kelickte, his hands balling in fists at his sides.  He raised it to strike, and Lekan's voice boomed out over all of them. 

"Stop!"  

Rose knew that Lekan stopped the Doctor to save him, that something horrible truly would've happened had he simply hit Kelickte.  That didn't stop her from whimpering at all the different kinds of pain she was feeling shoot through her body.  Soreness in her back, an ache in her jaw, and prickling pains that made her eyes water in her ankles and wrist. 

"What is the meaning of this?" Kelickte sputtered, eyes flashing. 

"She is not human." Lekan repeated calmly, leaning his hands on the sill of the carved out stone.  "She is yet locked beneath the surface of a human." 

Kelickte and his men looked worried, all whispering to each other in confusion.  Rose had to admit that she was rather confused too, as well as tired of being the damsel in distress here.  She wanted to be standing at the Doctor's side, helping, fighting, doing something for the greater good instead of just lying here. Couldn't her identity wait?  She wanted to know just as much as anyone else but-

The Doctor looked confused as well.  His gaze fell to her in a way that left her feeling vulnerable and completely exposed.  He swallowed heavily and looked to Lekan briefly before addressing the crowd of aliens before him.  "She..."

"She swallowed time, Doctor," Lekan reminded him, "That precious girl is a production of the purest form of love.  She is not human."

"Then what is she?" Kelickte demanded.  "What percent human is she?"

"Fifty, now," Lekan said calmly, "It will decrease as she ages, if the right steps towards the right timeline are taken."

The Doctor seemed to be sifting through something very confusing in his mind, his brown eyes flicking back an forth as though reading or seeing a thousand things at once.  This was not simple, it would never be simple, she knew that and watched him carefully.  His mind was locked on something, trying to puzzle out...

If Rose was thinking correctly, he was puzzling out how to keep her alive for the longest amount of time possible.  Her heart swelled and she wished she could break her bonds to go to him.  She knew wriggling any more would cause in the absolute destruction of her hands and dared not risk it, didn't even risk a tiny whimper that threatened to tear from her throat.

The night was cold and whipped her dress about her legs, the gauzy fabric doing nothing to protect her.  She wished she could do something, wished someone would talk.  It was too quiet. the only sounds the fish splashing about in the lake, oblivious to what was happening around them. 

She sent a wave of her anger out into the world and saw the Doctor stumble back as though he'd been pushed.  His eyes raised, wide, to her, and he gaped.  Oh, she had been right, she was connected to him somehow.  She looked up at Lekan, who was grinning widely at her.  He gave her a little wink. 

"Now, do you really think this is the best thing?" Lekan asked, "Your people and their gods?"

"You worship yours, we will worship ours!" Kelickte shouted back, and the men behind him shook their fists and cheered as though they were at some sort of grand rally.  Rose closed her eyes against the onslaught briefly but couldn't bear to do so for too long, needing to look up and seeing exactly what was happening.  

Lekan was still standing there, patient as a saint, which, she supposed was fitting.  He held up a hand as if to silence the crowd, and to Rose's shock, they did.  He looked sternly down at them. 

"Now, is it not true that you sacrifice human beings?  Our altar is sacred, held for fruit and offerings of a pure nature to the gods."

"This woman is plenty pure," Kelickte shot back.

"She is fifty percent human," Lekan reminded them.

"That's enough!" One of the men said frantically, "We have to make a sacrifice, Kelickte, we must!"

"I know that!" Kelickte shouted.  "Lekan, you are but a mere monk, you do not understand these things.  Our religion, our people are leaps and bounds ahead of yours.  You have nothing, own nothing, are nothing, without us.  Jebraxa needs people who will not pierce their faces our lock themselves away in a monastery.  It is what the gods wish!" 

"And did your gods tell you that?" Lekan asked, sounding bored.  "You will notice that windows surround our lovely courtyard?"

He lifted his hands, and somewhere in the back of her mind Rose heard the Doctor whisper, "oh, that's brilliant," before monks, carrying black bo staffs, shot out from the windows as though they were flying.  The Doctor laughed with glee and while Kelickte and his men were distracted, ran to Rose's side.  

"I'm going to snog the stuffing out of you a bit later," he said distractedly, pulling the sonic and freeing her.  "But for now I believe we have work to do."

He offered her a smile full of relief and happiness and put his hand out for her.  She let him help her off the altar, wincing a bit as she did so, and offered him a smile back.  He brushed a kiss just above the marrings on her wrist before running to where Lekan stood on the edge of the lake.  He offered them both bo staffs, and Rose took hers without even waiting for the Doctor. There were important things at hand, after all. 

She went straight for Kelickte, feeling a sort of anger hold in her that she had never felt before.  He swung the knife at her and a bit of her mind whispered to put her hand out.  She did so and he froze, the knife on its way to her chest.  

His eyes were still moving, every part of his face mobile, but his body rendered stiff. 

"How did you-?" The Doctor called out, but was suddenly otherwise engaged in combat. 

Lekan seemed to answer both the Doctor and Rose's unspoken and spoken questions with "The Wolf has silenced Time itself!" 

Rose felt her mouth drop open.  She'd just slowed time to an almost stop on Kelickte.  Laughing, she drew her hand back and knocked Kelickte on the side of the head with her bo staff, watching as time sped again and left him on the ground, rendered unconcious. 

The monks were incredibly agile, and the burly, clumsy men that Kelickte called his species were really no match for them.  They ducked and swerved, their robes flying out behind them, the determination in their eyes unmatched.  Rose found herself mirroring their motions of whoever she happened to be fighting, many of which were being taken over by one of the monks themselves.  They were lighter on their feet than she, and she was secretly glad for her job to be taken over.  Her ankles throbbed with the slashes that had been placed upon them and she found herself limping about on her bare feet.

Lekan seemed to be a supervisor, or perhaps he was praying, because he stood quietly next to the lake, the fish lapping at his feet playfully.  The folds in the arms of his robe seemed to swallow his hands and he watched the action around him with a heavily saddened look upon his face.

Rose turned to see the Doctor fighting as well, a sight that shocked her.  He was furious, the anger burning through him like she had never seen before.  And he was fighting for her, because he loved her.  She couldn't let the thought consume her, instead moved on. 

But, as was par with Rose Tyler, just being over five and a half feet, she met her match.  Or rather, a rather unfair match.  A large man, who she recognized as one of the ones who had grabbed her back out of her capsule, stood before her.  She cowered slightly, preparing to run away, when he grabbed her by the jaw, trying to lift her off the ground.  He did so and she clutched at his hands, now firmly locked around her neck and swinging her back around to the altar.  He slammed her heavily on the marble and Rose wheezed upon impact but had enough brain power (and flexibility) to throw up her leg to dig her toes just under the corner of his frankly large jaw, a pressure point she had learned in high school.  He released her and Rose rolled off the table, panting heavily.  

Lekan rushed to her side, lifting her up and helping her away.  "We must get you safe, my child," he said fervently.  

"The Doctor," she managed around her throat, which was already swelling under the man's assault on her neck.  

"He'll be fine, daughter.  When he fights for you, he fights with a passion I have never seen in him before."

She was not satisfied, but had to be, because Lekan was stronger than her and led her from the lake.  The fighting was so intense that no one noticed her absence.  She wanted to turn to find the Doctor but Lekan led her to a small room with nothing but a simple cot.  "You must stay here," he said urgently, "If you are killed, the Doctor will never forgive himself or me.  Please."

For once, Rose decided it would be beneficial to follow Rule Number One and not wander off.  Lekan rushed from the room, pulling the wooden door shut behind him.  She clasped her shaking hands in her lap, looking down and seeing swelling in the marks in her ankles and wrists.  She let out a shaky breath and let her emotions wash over her as she sat on the cot and waited. 

**** 

Meanwhile, The Doctor did, in fact, notice Rose's absence, and strictly chose not to draw attention to it.  If there was one thing he didn't need, it was for these wicked aliens to get back on her to throw her back on the altar.  She had been limping and holding her neck. Something was wrong, and he couldn't help her until this was done. 

There were still several men to take down, some monks had fallen as well, but their brothers guarded their unconscious bodies.  Whether they were dead or not would be determined later, and the Doctor had little time to be worried about it.  He swung the bo staff, forgetting about his pacifism and thinking only of Rose.  Anything these men did to him, it would be worthwhile, as long as Rose was safe.  He had to keep her safe.  She was an anomaly, but they still wanted her.  And as long as it was up to him, they wouldn't have her. 

Parts of him were going wild, a flex of his arm making the staff strike a man in the side of the skull perhaps too hard.  It didn't matter, would never matter. 

Keep Rose safe. 

Keep her safe. 

He loved her, and his job as the man who loved her was to protect her with his body, soul, and mind, and that was exactly what he intended to do.  Regardless of what the outcome would be for him.  He could lie dead, regenerate from intense pain, either way, and die happy knowing she was alright.  A niggling voice in the back of his head told him that she would not want to be without him, which he had to admit to himself as much as he did that he did not want to be without her. 

She had somehow engaged a mental link between them and he could feel her love and worry pulsing along it. He couldn't shut her out, she was too strong, and it fueled him in a way he never thought a link could.  Then again, he had never been linked to Rose Tyler before, and she felt everything so deeply that her love for him would not be any different.

This ended tonight, for all evil must come to an end, and, not for the first time, the Doctor was going to be the one to end it.


	16. Chapter 16

The Doctor had a bit of trouble focusing because of Rose's single-mindedness on their mental link.  Of course, there was no way for her to know about it, she couldn't possibly, but the thought of saving her so that he could preserve that link between them meant more to him than anything.  His hands began to shake with barely concealed rage and he and the monks fought to push the other aliens back.  He almost felt as though he was doing it himself, which was anything but true, he knew.  But his obsession with justice was obstructing his view.  Of course, he was still the Doctor, and he was trying very hard not to kill anyone.

"You're going to have to kill them," Lekan said mournfully, as though he had read the Doctor's mind.  "You must."

His voice was sad and the Doctor knew that he must have felt quite the same as he did, the sinking of the chest and the anger between the eyebrows.  The monks instantly grew stronger, pushing and fighting, despite their smaller frames, overpowering the men.  Kelickte was still unconscious, thanks to Rose's meddling with time and her blow on him.  That was the main deal, because without a leader, these men would be a little hesitant, with no orders to follow.  

It became clear that the monks had the upper hand when a simply massive man collapsed at the hands of one of the monks.  The others looked with shock at him and the monk who had done the deed swung his bo staff and planted it in the dirt, as though challenging, daring anybody else to come fight him.  The men fell quiet.  There were far less of them now, about six, still upright.  They stood in a staggered line against the Monks and the Doctor.  There were eight monks left, a few either casualties or passed out.  Which it was would still be unknown.

"We will find another altar," one of them said stubbornly, and Lekan shook his head. 

"There cannot be happy endings for all," he turned to the Doctor.  "The Shadow Proclamation?"

The Doctor nodded sullenly and began the process of calling down the Proclamation.  These men would certainly see punishment.  He ignored the way they shrunk away from him in fear.  They should have thought about the consequences before they'd done any of this, he thought.  Before they desecrated another altar, before they killed people, before they took Rose. 

Lekan laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.  That was all he could give, though, as the Doctor was the most influential figure in the room.  He felt the full force of the Storm building up in him.  "Sit down," he ordered in a booming voice.  

The men did, immediately, some of them battered and bruised.  Some of them kept glancing over at Kelickte as though he would suddenly awaken to protect them from the Doctor.  One look at the ashen man told the Doctor he wouldn't be getting up for awhile.  

"Go to her," Lekan whispered as the men sat.  "The monks and I will take care of this."

***

When it fell silent outside, Rose started to grow concerned.  There were no sounds of fighting, but there were also no sounds of the aftermath.  She remained quiet, as she was supposed to.  It became harder to do so, but the idea of seeing the Doctor again was enough to get her to follow Rule Number One.  

Soon, her questions were answered when the Doctor burst into the room.  He slammed the door behind him and she barely had to get up before he gathered her into his arms, holding her in a gripping embrace, his face buried in the side of her neck.  His arms were wrapped so tightly around her that his fingertips almost touched his own ribs.  She put her arms firmly around his neck, leaning her chin on his shoulder.  The feel of him holding her was so comforting that she felt her eyes slip shut.  He murmured something unintelligible against her skin and she giggled at the feeling of it. She ran a hand through his hair and pushed him back to look at her.  "What?" She asked, smiling up at him.

"I almost lost you," he said near a whisper, his hands still clutching desperately at her waist. 

She shifted so her palms cupped his cheeks, fingertips playing into his hair.  "But you didn't."

He lifted her injured wrist again to his hand and kissed it gently, touching just above the marks with his thumb.  He moved to her jaw and neck, the gentle touches on her bruise not making her wince.  He watched the path of his fingers carefully, and Rose let him do whatever he needed to reassure himself.  Finally, his gaze moved back to her eyes again.  "I love you," he said softly. 

"I love you," she affirmed, sensing the somewhat heavy mood between them.  

The Doctor let out what she supposed was a cry of triumph before lunging forward to capture her lips, his hands roving up over her sides.  She left her hands cupping his face and felt a jolt as their lips met.

She'd never been kissed like this before, but this was something different.  She felt her mind pulsing and throbbing, as though it was reaching out for something, or trying to change.  She ignored it and set about fully exploring the Doctor's mouth.  He whimpered and held her closer, and she felt a little probing at the back of her mind. 

Rose broke away, breathing heavily.  "Is that you?"

He nodded, his eyes still closed. "The time lines are changing.  Come here."

She kissed him again, and his fingertips shifted up to her temples, letting himself into her mind as she opened herself completely to him.  She saw what he was seeing in his massive Time Lord brain, the timelines, as he called them. 

A ghost in her mother's kitchen vanished, changing to a normal tea time with the three of them, laughing about one things or another.  A picture of her gripping a lever, trying not to be sucked away into a vacuum sort of hole in the wall, was replaced by a different investigation, one less dangerous but no less thrilling.  She was holding the Doctor's hand, and he was holding her closer than perhaps was normal for their 'friendship'.  One timeline that didn't result in the Doctor screaming her name as she was taken away by... Her father?  Either way, it was gone, and she was safe, with the Doctor, and it would continue to be that way.  Somewhere, in the back of her ever expanding mind, she could feel it. Could feel _them._

Finally, and most impressively of all, instead of the Doctor sitting at her bedside as she died of old age by human standards, she saw herself living a long, long, life, hundreds of years.  She pulled away from the Doctor with a gasp, her eyes wide.  "What does that mean?"

He smiled, his thousand watt grin making her giggle.  "It means, Rose Tyler, that I get to keep you.  That sucking time and space into your body left something dormant in you, something to keep you alive for as long as possible."

"How'd-"

"By kissing you.  I gave you a bit of my DNA, and it activated what the Bad Wolf left dormant.  It changed a recent timeline that would separate us," he shivered.  He stroked his thumbs over her cheeks, a look of pure contentment in his eyes.  "But not now."  He looked so soft, so lovely, and she couldn't stop herself from kissing him again. 

He hummed in a contented sort of way.  "You are incredible, Rose," he whispered, "You are, ever bit of you.  By saving me, sacrificing yourself, you gave us everything we could have ever wished for."

"I love you," she blurted out, feeling the need to tell him again and again until all he could remember was the sound of her professing her love for all of eternity.  That was all she really wanted to do anyway. 

He smiled, the action crinkling the skin up by his eyes, and he wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her snugly against him. She fit so well there, she mused, in the space beneath his chin.  His touch was like fire and a soothing balm all at once, and she let her eyes flutter shut as she cuddled against his chest, her hands flexing against his waist before wrapping all the way around his back.  He was a stronghold she could hold onto forever, and the way his fingers curled into the gauzy material at her back told her he was thinking of something along the same lines. 

"I love you," he whispered back, and giggled a bit. "I thought the universe would implode if I told you."

She laughed lightly.  "Well, here we are."

"Hm," he mused, "Here we are."

The Doctor finally pulled away from her a bit to examine her body, worry etched on his features.  "I want to look at your ankles.  The way you cried out-"

"I think it's fine," she interrupted, "I was just surprised, that's all.  In shock? I dunno."

He furrowed his brows.  "Rose.  Let me."

She finally let him lead her to where she had been sitting before.  He hoisted her up by the waist so she sat down, her feet dangling a bit.  The Doctor bent slightly before her, looking much like a supplicant at the feet of a goddess.  He lifted her left foot, cupping her heel in both hands. 

"Where are Kelickte and the others?" She asked. 

"The Shadow Proclamation will deal with them," he said with a sharpness that she knew was not directed at her.  He sighed softly.  "We'll probably have to stay for the aftermath."

"I know you don't like doing that," Rose replied.  "But I think sometimes it can be beneficial for both of us, to see what we've done and what we've fixed.  The monks won't have to live in fear of their altar being desecrated again.  That's good."

He smiled up at her.  "Of course it is."

He touched where the blood at her ankles was starting to clot.  She hissed in discomfort and tried to pull away but the Doctor held her firmly.  His forehead creased in concern and he examined her more closely.  The gash ran all the way around her ankle.  He was unsure of how deep it went, but he knew he would have to get antibiotic on it.  He released her foot, leaving it swinging down with the sudden release, and fished about in his jacket.

Rose quirked an eyebrow.  "You got a pharmacy in there, then?"

He grinned at her, then the look softened.  "Wait, how did you know I was-"

"I can read you," She shrugged.  "You think I can't, but I'm not just some stupid ape."

"Only fifty percent human," he reminded her as he pulled out what appeared to be a tube of topical cream.  She bit her lip in nervous anticipation as he unscrewed the cap and pushed a generous glob into his hand.  He rubbed it gently into the gash and her eyes watered at the stinging pain.  He whispered his apologies, his face contorted as much as hers was in pain.  He looked up at her and smiled sheepishly.  "I can feel you," he admitted, moving to her other ankle.  "You somehow established a mental link.  If... If it makes you uncomfortable, I can remove it-"

"So _that's_ what that was."

The Doctor looked at her in surprise.  "What?"

She grinned.  "When we were separated, I wasn't even on Jebraxa, I think.  Kelickte had me in this waiting capsule, and well, I waited.  They were watching you and you were waiting for me and I felt all this, I dunno, affection.  And then Kelickte was going on about how you were shivering and I thought it might've just been cold but-" She bit her lip at the expression on his face, confused but wanting to kiss her all at once.  

He opened and closed his mouth several times, gaping like a fish.  He stepped forward and took her hands, where she was sitting bringing their eyes closer.  She frowned at him, his behavior odd, even for him. 

"What?" She asked, as he brought her knuckles to his mouth one by one and kissed them with a reverence she never though would be bestowed upon her by a man.  She waited patiently until he was ready to answer her.  

"Rose, we're not just linked.  If you were that far away and able to send me that..."  He trailed off, his eyes glazing over in a stupid sort of happiness.  

She kicked his shin lightly.  "What, Doctor?"

"It means that we're bonded."


	17. Chapter 17

 

Rose furrowed her brow.  "Bonded?"

Lekan walked into the room then, cutting off any conversation that would have progressed from there, making Rose huff in frustration.  Lekan looked a bit disoriented, and the Doctor turned from Rose to regard him. 

"Yeah?' the Doctor asked earnestly. 

"Everything is over," he said solemnly.  "What shall we do with the men who are simply unconscious?"

"The Shadow Proclamation will deal with their entire planet," the Doctor replied.  "How are the monks?"

"Some struggle to stand," Lekan slumped a bit.  "We lost two men."

Rose felt her brows drawing together in frustration and worry.  "I'm sorry, Lekan," she said softly.  Lekan smiled at her, a sad smile, but one that showed a sort of hopefulness that she had not anticipated from him. 

"Can we help?" The Doctor asked, already taking a step to the door.  Lekan moved to block him.

"I don't want Rose to see this," Lekan replied, looking between the two of them.  Rose sagged a bit. 

"No, I want to help the wounded," Rose replied.  "I need to."

Lekan looked a bit helpless at that, and the Doctor shrugged.  Of course, nobody could control Rose Tyler, especially not now.  She had a fire lit in her that she was not about to be extinguished.  Lekan finally nodded and gestured to Rose, asking her silently to follow him. 

The next several hours were filled with Rose tending to the wounded monks and the Doctor helping with the dead, Kelickte's men and the monks.  She still wore her white, gauzy dress and it was getting covered in blood as she worked.  There were many wounds that she had to work with, resulting in the dress being ruined, not that she was planning on wearing it again.  

  "I think we should stay here for tonight and go home tomorrow," the Doctor said as they walked to eat dinner with the monks.

"That's probably a good idea," Rose replied tiredly, shivering a little as cold started to set into the stone building. 

"Do you want to go put other clothes on?" he asked, stopping in his tracks.  

Rose shook her head.  "No, I just want to eat and go to bed."

He shrugged out of his jacket and laid it across her shoulder before leaning over to kiss her on the forehead.  She smiled and murmured her thanks to him, shoving her arms into the sleeves and drawing the lapels tighter around her.  He reached for her hand and she threaded their fingers together, letting him drag her closer.  she felt instantly warmer, but her feet were still cold. She figured she could manage not having shoes for just a little longer.  She wiggled her toes just to make sure she could feel them.  

The Doctor squeezed her hand encouragingly and tugged her along to the dining hall.  The monks, at first, had wanted not to eat in response to the deaths of the others.  Lekan had insisted though, that with the strength they had lost in the battle, they would need to replenish it.  The men had reluctantly agreed.  Rose didn't know this, but Lekan had also told the men that they needed to eat so she could eat.  She would not if she were to be the only one doing so.

They finally reached the hall and silence fell over them all, as was customary.  Rose walked to sit next to the Doctor near the end of the table.  He let her lead him and squeezed her hand again before releasing it.  They sat and ate light, green vegetables, bread, and fish.  Rose tried not to tuck in ravenously, as she felt she had been starved.  Of course, she hadn't eaten when she was with Kelickte, so it was possible they were just pumping nutrients into her to keep her alive.  It was interesting how she hadn't managed to think about eating until the food was right in front of her. 

Halfway through the meal, the Doctor's hand landed on her knee under the low table.  She had expected something near a caress, if this were to happen, but his fingers dug gently into her skin, as though he was afraid she would disappear if he didn't hold onto her in some way.  It occurred to her that that was probably exactly how he felt.  She laid her hand over his in reassurance, trying to let him know without words that she certainly wasn't going anywhere.  Remembering the link that was open, she sent a wave of love and he shivered.  He squeezed her leg, this time in a sort of reprimand, and she turned to grin at him, unrepentant.  He offered her a smile back despite himself. 

She felt her eyelids grow heavier and heavier as they wore on eating.  She had made it through plenty of food and was feeling comfortably full, and wanted to go to bed now more than ever.  Lekan raised a hand to dismiss their guests and the Doctor gave him a respectful nod before rising.  Rose got up, struggling a bit around her grogginess and full stomach, and followed the Doctor from the room. 

She was glad that she still wore his jacket, for outside the dining hall it was growing colder as the night grew deeper.  She reached for his hand but he instead wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tugging her into his side in an attempt to keep her warm.  He walked her all the way back to their room in silence.   Not much needed to be said between them, after all, at this moment.  

When they made it to their quarters, Rose was hard pressed to not just collapse into the mattress and fall asleep for the next three years.  She moved to sit down but the Doctor shook his head, pulling her back to her feet. 

"You need to clean yourself up," he told her, tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear. 

"You sayin' I smell, Doctor?" She asked, trying for cheeky but sounding almost drunk with how tired she was. 

He chuckled and kissed her forehead.  "To clean your wounds.  Go on."

She grumbled, had hoped for a bit more kissing and persuasion from him, but since she was obviously going to get neither until she was clean, she grabbed a pajama set and stumbled into the bathroom to get cleaned up. 

When she looked in the mirror she was surprised to see how much she had changed in the past few days.  Had it been days?  She couldn't even tell, couldn't think of a way to tell anything like that.  Her eyes looked hollowed out, bags underneath them, hinting at restless sleep.  Her hair looked greasy and straggly and she wrinkled her nose, wondering how the Doctor could ever love a woman like her, especially when she looked like this.

"I just do," he shouted from the bedroom, and she blushed, knowing she'd accidentally projected her thoughts onto him.  That, she was certainly going to have to keep an eye on.  She huffed to herself and set about getting ready for bed.

When she emerged the Doctor was in pajamas and she was feeling much more refreshed.  When he saw her he got to his feet and approached her to pull her into a tight hug.  His nose buried itself in the crook of her neck and she giggled, squeezing him a bit tighter. 

"We should got to bed," he said, backing up from her.  

She nodded, unable and unwilling to protest, and climbed into 'her side' by the wall, farthest from the door.  She had a feeling that wherever they slept, that was now her spot.  He climbed in after her, pulling the bedclothes up around them, and she turned on her side to face him. 

"Bonding," she said simply, "What is that, exactly, and how is it different from a link?"

He rubbed his eye with two fingers and sighed.  "Blimey, you're awake all of a sudden."

She shook her head. "I'm just curious," she replied. "It sounds like it would be stronger."

He blew out his cheeks, obviously sensing that she was not going to let it go, and grasped her hand, pulling it up above the covers so he could inspect it.  Rose had a feeling that he just wanted something to focus his attention on as he spoke.  "It is much stronger," he began.  "It's something a Time Lord initiates, whether on accident or with marital intent."

"And which is it for you?"

The Doctor looked up into her eyes.  "I don't know," he replied, "Because of course, there is the biological urge to find a mate, with me being the last of my kind, but there could have also been moments where I formed it without knowing, just because you touched me in just the right way and said just the right thing.  I can't tell where I end and you begin anymore, and the bond could be part of the reason why."

"With that big Time Lord brain of yours, you can't tell when the bond was... I dunno, put in place?" She was asking a lot of questions, and she knew it, knew she was borderline pestering him, but couldn't exactly bring herself to stop.  She wanted to know exactly what they were before she closed her eyes for the night. 

He shook his head, "I don't know," he said, "It could have been when I saved your life on Satellite Five, and you saved mine.  It could have been Christmas, it could have been... Well, at anywhere, at any time."

"You saying that you've been pining after me?" She asked teasingly.

"More than I would admit."

She softened at that, at the vulnerability in his voice and his eyes.  She took her hand from his to run a finger down his nose and then cup his cheek fully in her palm.  "You have meant the world to me since I met you, Doctor," she said softly, "And not just because of the TARDIS, because if I were travelling with a rotten alien I wouldn't have stayed.  You make the difference, you make it good.  You always have."

"When I was the other me, though, before I regenerated-"

"You were possessive and protective and when you smiled your whole face lit up," she said, smiling fondly at the memory.  "Now, you're different, yeah.  You may not come after me with the single-mindedness I sort of expected, but it's you."

"You think I don't come after you?"

"Well, there have been times-"

"Even in those times, I can guarantee I was thinking of you," he said earnestly. "I can promise you that my mind never wandered from your side, even if my body did.  Because we're bonded."  He grabbed onto her waist, hoping to ground himself.  "Time Lords can't physically cheat, and neither can our bond mates.  If you were to be with someone else, Rose, or I were with someone else... It would literally kill the other person."

She was quiet for a moment, taking this in.  That meant that however long he'd had that bond, it was a good thing she hadn't been with Mickey since she'd met him.  There were other reasons that was a good thing too, of course.  And he hadn't been with anyone.  She suddenly felt foolish for the jealousy she had felt for Reinette.  He hadn't even been focused on her, his mind had been filled with Rose.  She stroked her thumb along the apple of his cheek and smiled softly at him, regarding his earnest face and wide eyes.  "I guess it's a good thing I don't want anybody else, then."

He leaned towards her and kissed her without any preamble, his mouth opening over hers in a show of the possession she was sure would've come from his ninth body had they gotten around to doing all this then.  She moved her hand from his cheek to wrap around his neck awkwardly in the bed.  His hand crept up to splay across her back, under her top, and he whimpered softly when she curled her fingertips into the short hair at the back of his neck. 

He broke away from her mouth to press kisses along her jaw and down her neck in reverence, worshiping her body the best way he could.  She let her eyes flutter closed as she enjoyed his little caresses, the touches she knew were him binding her to him, claiming her.  He wanted to touch her and hold her and that was the most powerful feeling in the world.  She sighed through her nose and breathed out, "I love you."

With a light popping sound form her neck, he pulled back up to look at her.  "Rose Tyler, I love you," he spoke with an earnest conviction that made her giggle, and he smiled toothily at her before pulling her against his chest.  "Sleep, my love," he whispered, "And tomorrow we'll go home."

The very idea of home sent her mind straight to the TARDIS, and she smiled softly against his chest. 

"Wait a second!" She said loudly, sitting up and startling him.  "You promised to take me to that festival."

He winced.  "So I did," he said.  "Nothing gets past you, does it?"

She shook her head and grinned before leaning down to kiss him deeply.  He sighed happily when she pulled away and lay half on top of him again. She flung her leg over his and cuddled against him, feeling his ribs expand in a happy sigh before she fell asleep, feeling warm and content and more in love than she thought it was possible for one person to be.


	18. Chapter 18

Rose woke up with a feeling of warmth coursing through her and a gentle presence at the back of her head. As she was lifted further from sleep, she stretched out and found that her head lay rather securely on the Doctor's chest, her arm wrapped around his waist and her leg over his.  She hummed a little and squeezed her eyes closed, wanting to live in that moment. 

The Doctor's hand flexed against her back, pressing her closer to his side, but neither of them moved further than that, certainly not any where that was away from the other person.  She stroked his calf with the instep of her foot and he sighed a little bit.  She felt his happiness tickle the back of her mind and tried to think about opening up to him.

His breath hitched and his fingers started stroking her back through her top.  She let her eyes remain closed, blissfully shut against his gentle attentions.  It seemed as though they were close to each other's minds now, maybe not all the way in, but hovering.  It made Rose feel safe and warm and happy and she burrowed closer to him to let it carry on flowing through her.  She wanted to push in, to be in his mind as he was prodding into hers.  Eventually she felt his hand rise up from her back to touch her temple.  His love for her flooded into her head and she squeezed her eyes shut tighter, focusing on sending those emotions right back to him. 

He received them on a happy little hum and embraced them, enveloping them in his essence.  Finally, he sighed and pulled his fingers from her head, gentle as he removed himself.  He stroked his hand along her neck and shoulder to rest on her back again. 

"Good morning," he murmured happily.  "Time to get up?"

She nodded against him.  "the festival," she mumbled.

"We have all day for that," the Doctor groused a bit, and Rose tickled his side in retaliation.  He wriggled away.  "Besides, didn't Abesi say it didn't start until nightfall?"

Her head snapped up from his chest.  "Oh!  You're jealous!"

He scowled up at her but didn't remove his hand from her. "I am _not._ We're bonded, remember?"

She let her expression soften and she reached out to cup his cheek. "Oh, I remember."  Just to make his feel better, she shifted so she was lying on top of him, her body between his legs and head just underneath his chin.  He heaved ha heavy sigh and hugged her close to him.  

"He doesn't get to dance with you tonight."

"I thought you said you weren't jealous."

He swore quietly, as though the very though the fact that he said something like that would be interpreted as "jealous" didn't even occur to him.  She laughed. 

"S'okay." She said soothingly, "but you didn't expect me to not leave your side all night, did you?" 

His fingers coasted along her back, stroking once over her shirt before travelling under.  "I had hoped to."

"Oi," she poked his side.  "Selfish."

He rolled her onto her back at that, almost surprising both of them, and leaned down to catch her lips in a slow kiss to tell her that yes, when it came to her, he was selfish, and he would continue to be such.  She wrapped her arms around his neck as her eyes fell shut, succumbing to his attention, surrendering her body to him completely.

The Doctor braced himself above her, his hands on either side of her head, as he explored her mouth with  a gentleness he was afraid he had been deprived of before, when they'd kissed.  All the times he'd kissed her, he'd never truly learned her mouth.

She didn't seem abject to this, instead was opening her mouth to him, letting his tongue come in slowly, uncertainly, to meet hers.  After a few breath stealing moments, all of Rose's breath was stolen and she had to pull away.  He wasn't hindered by this, instead moved his mouth to her jaw, pressing soft loving kisses along the bone and down her neck.  Her eyes remained shut and her breathing labored, enjoying the affections he was placing upon her.  It was only when he sucked on her neck too hard and for too long that she smacked him. 

"Git," she muttered.  He grinned up at her. 

"If you had a bondmate this good looking, you'd want to be selfish too." He replied. 

"What are you talking about?" she asked, feeling the mark he'd just made on her start to throb.  Oh yes, that would leave a mark, and soon.  "I'm jealous of any sentient being that gets to touch you." 

He laughed in delight and sat back on his haunches, ignoring her whine of disapproval at the loss.  His face was flushed and he was grinning down at her with his usual excitement.  "You were jealous?"

"Yes, and at least I admit it," she said, bringing her legs up around his back in an effort to drag him back on top of her.  He went willingly, bringing his lips eagerly back to hers.  After several minutes he felt it escalate and regrettably pulled back from her.  She scowled up at him.  "Why'd you stop?"

"We're in a monastery," he reminded her, cringing. 

Rose felt her face flush, and unwrapped her legs from him.  "Oh, right."  

He smiled apologetically at her.  "TARDIS? Later?"

"Yeah."

They got up and dressed, but not without distraction, as a hand brushing there and a well placed kiss there almost ended them both up in bed all over again.  His Time Lord Superiority was not linked to patience on Rose Tyler's part, apparently, but that was alright.  They were bonded, so it served to not make him feel like a dirty old man.  Not that he shouldn't feel like a dirty old man, he reminded himself, because that was still very much relevant. 

They ate with the monks in silence, and told Lekan afterwards they would be heading to the village (that Rose still thought sounded like a sneeze when spoken out loud) and would be leaving on their ship soon after. 

Lekan nodded, though if Rose wasn't mistaken, she though he seemed a bit sad about it.  "Alright," he said, "It has been a pleasure to see you again, Doctor, and an honor to meet your bond mate."

The Doctor furrowed his brows.  "Wh- Hold on, what?"

Lekan threw Rose a wink, his eyes twinkling in a way that made her giggle.  Lekan turned back to the Doctor, and smiled.  "I knew the whole time, Doctor."

"How did you know?" Rose asked, puzzled, but amused, "We didn't even know."

The monk lifted a shoulder.  "I am especially good at reading people, and Time Lords," he directed his gaze back to the Doctor. "Eyes are the window to the soul, my dears, and your eyes reflect a love that is unmatched by anything I have yet seen.  There is no doubt in my mind that the people of Jebraxa will write the story of your love for years to come."

Rose blushed a little and kicked her toe into the stone floor.

"Now, you must leave, and I certainly knew that, but perhaps you will return?"

"I'd like to," Rose said before the Doctor could object.

"Good," Lekan gave a curt nod. 

He had been such a help to them, and so kind, and he had aided in saving her life.  Rose swayed forward once before taking her hand from the Doctor's and hugging Lekan, against her better judgement.  

Instead of shoving her off of him and screaming of impropriety, Rose was surprised that the monk returned her embrace, patting her back as she assumed a father would.  She felt tears rise and bit them back. 

"Oh, do not cry, my child," Lekan said softly, "I will pray for the both of you, and for your return."

They bid him goodbye, and Rose and the Doctor left the monastery hand in hand, as they should.  He swung their hands in an effort to lift the mood and Rose giggled.

"Now, ready to go then?" the Doctor asked. 

Rose nodded, her head bumping her rucksack.  It was always so irritating that she packed for things and he didn't.  "Yeah, to the color festival.  It's about celebrating life, Doctor, and regardless of your jealousy, I think it's a good thing to celebrate."

The Doctor's gaze softened as he looked at her admiringly, "Yeah."

As they had left in the high afternoon, they didn't reach the village (Rose was still calling it the 'sneeze village') until the early evening.  The people were setting up, an energy running through the air that made Rose feel alive, her body thrumming with excitement. 

Oxuzi was the first to notice them, as he was heading up the whole process and appeared to be watching everything closely, although he was still paying very close attention to the world around him.  He approached them, his face stretched wide in a smile that still looked very intimidating to Rose.  She shrunk back, but only marginally.  She managed to smile up at the man. 

"I am told that you have saved the world," he said bluntly, "Now, we celebrate you!"

Rose felt her jaw drop, "Us?" 

"Yes," Oxuzi nodded, "You two have saved our world from what would have surely eventually been an epidemic of death.  Abesi told me that you wanted to return for a festival, and though I hoped you would, this was more than we could have expected!  You will both be dressed for the ceremony.  Tonight we celebrate life, and the Doctor and Rose Tyler!" 

Someone must have heard that, because cheering erupted over the Doctor's protest to not want to be dressed for anything, thank you very much.  As it turned out, it really wasn't up to him, because a group of men grabbed the Doctor and several tittering young woman grabbed Rose, tugging them off to separate huts.  Rose found herself laughing as she was being pulled along, but the Doctor was less than impressed.

"And put their things in the Honeymoon hut!" Oxuzi shouted.  More cheers erupted. 

"The Honeymood hut?" The Doctor's eyes widened, but then they landed on Rose, who looked so flushed and happy that he nodded.  Maybe domestic wasn't such a bad idea after all.  Especially if he was doing domestic with Rose Tyler. 

Rose was dressed in some sort of hide.  She was sewn into it, so it fit her exactly, hugging every curve before falling to the middle of her thighs more loosely than it held her torso.  Her waist was wrapped in beads, intricately colored and shaped to form a belt that Rose found she probably would have purchased back home.  She was given feathers laced through her hair and beads strung along in the ends of some of the strands, another necklace of only white beads and a shell in the middle surrounding her neck, offsetting the color of the rest of the ensemble. 

She touched the shell delicately.  "And what... What's this for?"

One of the women who had been helping her smiled up at her.  "It is to signify that you are a newlywed," she said happily, "And very contentedly so.  Now, the festival shall begin soon, do you feel ready?"

"Yeah, just one question," Rose smoothed her hands down the dress.  "How am I gonna get out of this thing?"

"I'm sure your husband will figure it out."

Before Rose even had time to be embarrassed, she was dragged out into the main square.  She didn't even know there _was_ a main square, but here it was, decorated with candles high enough that they would be out of reach so no accident would take place, and a fire in the middle of the square.  People were already dancing, a primal but sophisticated beat playing in the corner from what appeared to be a band.  Rose smiled.  Those two words had never gone together before. Never had she seen cultures intertwined like this before, and it was certainly one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.  

Now, though, as she took everything in, every painstakingly put decoration, she couldn't help but marvel at how lucky she was to even get to see it.  She loved the Doctor, and she loved this life, and she offered up a prayer, where she didn't know, but to _someone:_ that she may live as long as him.  To be with him forever. 

When she opened her eyes from the silent reverie that crashed through her, she found the Doctor standing before her.  He wore a hide tunic that was, although loose-fitting, not unlike hers.  His eyes were shining with love and excitement.  He reached his hand out for her. 

"Dance with me."


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be an epilogue following this final chapter!

The Doctor did look very fit in his tunic.  He wore a white necklace like her own, just without the shell in the middle.  And his eyes were sparkling, oh, were they alight with passion and excitement.  She slid her hand into his. 

"I thought you didn't dance."

He gave an indignant snort.  "I think you know that I _do_ dance," he said, and pulled her to him. 

"Now, the women will place bangals onto their ankles and the dancing will begin."  Abesi appeared seemingly out of nowhere and the Doctor scowled. 

Rose giggled and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.  "You have the first dance, Doctor."

"I should certainly hope so."

He still seemed reluctant to let go of her hand, but he did so and she slipped off to place the traditional six bangals on each ankle.  Abesi grinned widely upon seeing her, and hugged her briefly before they were chatting in an animated sort of fashion and he was giving her the bangals. 

"You and the Doctor, then?" He winked at her. 

She smiled, couldn't even find it in herself to be embarrassed.  "Yeah."

"And you're happy."

"Incredibly."

"Good."  He paused.  "I'm going to... I'm going to get out, going to run so I don't have to get my piercings."

Rose slipped the final bangal on her ankle and smiled.  "I think that's wonderful, Abesi.  You should go see the monks.  They won't try to convert you or anything, and Lekan is one of the best men I know."

Abesi nodded.  "Okay, I will."  He seemed convinced and as the band played on, she made her way back to the Doctor. 

He stood before the fire that was really starting to pick up, his hands clasped behind his back. He looked oddly content, his face relaxed and light flickering across him.  It was clear with the music they were playing that there would be something with a specific rhythm.  

"Do you know this?" She asked the Doctor, startling him.  He looked over at her and beamed.  

"Oh, yes," he said, and grabbed her hands, pulling her close to him.  "This is an incredibly traditional dance.  Follow me."

The people around them began to move, the women more so than the men in order to shake the bangals they wore.  The dance didn't require standing too close to the partner, but just the act of holding hands between them was enough contact underneath the roaring of the fire.  

The Doctor was extremely adept, and this version of him certainly was agile.  Rose watched the women as well as kept an eye on him, making it easy to dance to the music.  It was easy to follow and Rose found herself lost in it, a smile permanently lighting her face.

Air settling across them was heady and just very warm, settling them in a sort of feeling that Rose rather thought she could get drunk on.  The music switched, the drum beats coming slower, and a new dance began.  Rose panicked for a moment, as she had just learned one, but this one required the male to hold the female partner much closer. 

"It's alright," the Doctor said into her ear, his breath coasting over the shell.  "They know that you aren't familiar with their dances.  Just _feel."_

Her eyes fluttered closed.  If there was one thing that she knew how to do, especially now, it was feel.  She ran her hand up the Doctor's bare arm to his shoulder as his mouth briefly found the space just under her ear, leaving a wet kiss that made Rose giggle and smack his arm.  He simply grinned against her skin and whipped her around in a circle. 

They weren't attached for very long, though.  He swung her round, as the rest of the men were doing with their women, and brought her back only to turn her under his arm, twirling her and making her laugh.  When he brought her back against his chest with both arms around her waist, she found that he was smiling just as widely as she was.  His eyes sparkled and danced just as much as their feet did, and she found herself obsessed with it.  He looked so happy, and all she ever wanted was to see him happy.    

He was in love with her, just as much as she was with him.  She could see it now, maybe could've even seen it before, but here, now, with his hands on her back and his eyes locked on her as if there was no where else to look, it was obvious.  She understood, now, why everyone had thought they were a couple.  It made sense.  And they were rather handsome together.  They belonged, and fit, in each other's arms.  

Chanting began somewhere, the shaking of bangals becoming more intense, thundering across the square.  Rose laughed, a sheen of perspiration beginning on her forehead.  The Doctor, even, was starting to sweat, his fringe drooping with it.  

They danced for hours, with some of the villagers chanting of happiness and marriage.  Oxuzi offered up a prayer for the Doctor and Roes's happy marriage.  Rose turned to the Doctor when they were taking a break from dancing.  

"So, bonding is Time Lord married," she said, wrapping her head around it.

"Is that alright?"

"Course."

"Oh.  Good."

She leaned her head on his shoulder.  "Stuck with you, that's not so bad," she whispered, daring to hope that he might not hear it.

"Yeah," he said, echoing what she had been reaching for.  But it wasn't an query this time.  It was an answer, a benediction. 

Rose couldn't help from smiling as she cuddled into his side, even through the heat of the night and the fire.  These were not quiet people, crying out their excitement and happiness, shouting their jubilation as they danced.  Rose felt a complete sense of contentment wash over her, as though she was always meant to end up here. 

"You know, the face piercings still weird me out," she whispered. 

He laughed softly, then whispered back, "Me too."

They went back and danced, and they danced for hours, as though there had never been a more perfect night to celebrate.  Finally, the retired to the Honeymoon Hut, the Doctor still blushing a bit at the notion, but Rose's cheeks rosy with excitement and exertion.  They walked hand in hand there, and shut the crude little door that this hut had.  

Both of them were not shrouded in total darkness; there was light fluttering in from the outside, through the straw-like roof, just enough that she could see him.  She reached up and cupped his cheeks in her hands, and he took the hint, leaning down to kiss her softly.  He seemed to be savoring her, his hands coming up to touch her hips, pulling her closer to him. 

"How'd they get you into this thing?" he muttered against her mouth as he fumbled for some sort of closing.  

She laughed and nudged his nose with hers.  "Figure it out, _husband."_

He shivered and took back up with kissing her, his mouth moving over hers with purpose.  His fingers dug into her sides, as though if he released her she would vanish from his world.  Her fingers slid back into his hair, curling there, planting themselves, marking their territory.  The Doctor was hers, and that was that.

The party was starting to die out outside, but not by much, and any sound outside covered them quite well.  The Doctor heaved Rose against him powerfully, and Rose went willingly, keeping herself as close to him as she possibly could.  

He kissed his way down her neck, as though he belonged there, with his lips against her, which of course, he did.  He shifted down and removed her white necklace, and his. "We'll save these," he said softly, setting them atop her rucksack with a tenderness that brought tears to her eyes.  He returned to her and started untangling her hair from the feathers that were stuck in it. 

"You are so beautiful," he said, his voice filled with awe and reverence.  She let her eyes fall shut as his fingers combed through her hair.  "This is our wedding night, eh?"

"Of course," she leaned forwards and kissed him again and his hands reached up to cup her cheeks, holding her close to him with shaking fingers, as though he was afraid that she would try to get away from him.  He was gentle with her, loving her through gentle caresses and fleeting touches.  She broke away for breath and they looked into each other's eyes, not feeling rushed in the slightest.  

"Do you know what I think?" She asked quietly, running her hands up his chest and draping her arms around his shoulders. he smiled and leaned forward, nudging his nose against hers. 

"What do you think?"

"I think, _Doctor,_ that you'd better sonic me out of this thing right quick, yeah?"

He looked a little startled, if not pleased, at her forwardness.  A flash of teeth showed her he was giving her his best manic grin, and she laughed as he fumbled for the screwdriver.  When he finally located it, he pressed it to her waist and kissed her quickly.  "We'll repair it later," he said, "For now, your wish is my command."  

He kissed her deeply once more before activating the sonic, the blue light illuminating them both, though neither of them saw it. 

Needless to say, it was at least a few hours before they slept.  

They traveled back to the TARDIS the next morning after bidding goodbye to Oxuzi and Abesi.  The Doctor held Rose's hand tight in his after he lifted her rucksack over his shoulder.  She'd told him that he didn't have to carry it, that it would be fine and she could do it herself, but he wasn't having any of that.  He was her husband now, he explained, and that was the main point. 

Seeing as Rose was very much walking on air, the walk back home didn't seem quite as long, even though it was technically longer than the walk to the monastery.  The Doctor sent her glances every one in a while to make sure she wasn't getting too tired, and she certainly wasn't.  She was alight with excitement and only crashed when they got through the TARDIS doors.

"You should probably get some sleep," he said, flipping a lever to set off the dematerialization sequence.  "It's been a long few days and I doubt that you got any proper rem cycle rest."

"I can wait," she shuffled her feet along the grating.  "Do you want-"

"What?" He turned his attention to her, his eyes wide open and watching her carefully.  He seemed unsure, as though he were watching his p's and q's with her. 

She wasn't looking to say anything deep, or to ask him to say that he loved her again.  And, although she loved to hear it, she wanted something more normal than being sacrificed on an altar.  And really, when she wanted normal, there was really only one thing to say.  

"We could go get chips?  If you wanted."  She watched him, waiting for either a positive or negative response.  She fiddled with the edge of her shirt, trying not to wring her hands.

He grinned at her, a thousand watt grin that made her helpless to do anything but smile back.  "Rose Tyler, I'd love to go for chips."

It is an unspoken, and also spoken, fact of the universe that the Doctor loves Rose Tyler.  Has done, will do, for the rest of eternity. In fact, it must be written in every history book in the world.  The people of Jebraxa still hold ceremonies in their honor, and Abesi escapes as the blonde traveler had told him, straight to the monastery.  They affect everyone around them, these two, and it is always in a positive way to people who are good.  

And they must stay together forever, and so they do.  If the Doctor is to exist, he is to exist with Rose at his side.  And that is how it must be until the Earth dissolves into flames.

The Doctor and Rose Tyler.

Forever.


	20. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the love on this story! i already have my next tenxrose planned, it'll be up soon along with new AU parts! Enjoy this little epilogue!

Rose was not abject to having children. She wasn't abject when she had children, although Jackie was convinced that those children really shouldn't be traveling about space. The Doctor reminded Jackie very calmly that their children with about ninety eight percent Time Lord, with Rose's genetic differences and his genetics. Jackie was still very angry about it.

They went home for Christmas, 'home' being London, and not really their real home.  Two toddlers in tow made the whole idea very tiring, but Grandma Jackie loved to spoil Sarah and Jack.  She walked in on Rose asleep half on top of the Doctor on the couch too.  He was out too, his mouth agape.  It had been a long time since he'd been a dad, he'd most likely forgotten how tiring it was to be one.  And of course, Rose had never been a mother, so there was that.  

Jackie shook her head with a smile and put her grandchildren to bed.  She really didn't think they should be on the TARDIS at all.

The Doctor, on the other hand, loved having the TARDIS filled with children, even if it was just two. They were his, and they were Rose's, and that was quite enough. She was tired but not aging, their two year old cuddled up against her as they sat in the library. Little Sarah was asleep, her mother and father speaking quietly as to not wake her.

"Do you think they're Time Lords?" She mused, "Or just Gallifreyan?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Could be either, considering... I don't know. We won't know until they're older."

"How much older?'

"Two hundred or so?"

She huffed out a laugh. "I can't believe I'll live to see it."

"Yes, well, if you remember, I did tell you that you were brilliant."  He smiled at her, a smile that had carried over through all the phases of their relationship.  She grinned back at him, reaching out her hand and wiggling her fingers.  He scooted over to her and cuddled up against her.  

They sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying each other's presence and the telepathic energy thrumming through them. 

"I'm so happy," he whispered finally, awe in his voice. 

She leaned over to press a kiss to his cheek.  "I'm happy too."

He sighed.  "I love you." 

He was asleep within moments of saying that, and Rose giggled to herself.  She had a few precious minutes of quiet before Jack ran into the room, screaming and waving his wooden sword. 

Yes, this was the life she wanted, even if it wasn't the anticipated one.  And all because she had almost been sacrificed on an altar. 

That was almost perfect for them.  Odd, and impractical.. But them.


End file.
